Run Right In To You
by SparkELee
Summary: Bella's life is turned upside down when she discovers Jake imprinted on her a week before her wedding with Edward. But, as it always is with life in Forks, things aren't always what they seem. Bella/Jacob, later Bella/Paul/Embry. Triangle time.
1. Weight of it All

A/N: All, first of all, thank you for clicking. I'm not new to the FF world, I've been writing for awhile, for shows like Glee, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Office, Grey's Anatomy, House, etc. but I'm new to Twilight, so I'd really appreciate your feedback. I apologize in advance for any tense changes, I'm working on that.

Also, I'm looking for a beta, so if you're interested, PM me.

As of right now, I'm not planning to switch POV's – it will all be told from 3rd person perspective.

Run Right Into You

Chapter 1: Weight of it All

_Plink! Plink! Plink!_

Bella's eyes glanced up from her novel and shifted to the window.

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was approaching the 12 o'clock hour – far too late for any visitors.

She swung her legs over the bed and crept towards the window quietly, carefully picking her way around anything she might trip on or fall over.

She shoved the window up and looked towards the dark earth below her.

Her visitor? Werewolf and one-time best friend, Jacob Black.

"Jake? What are you doing here? It's almost midnight." She whispered down to him.

"I just… I need to talk to you. Can I come up?" He called back softly, his eyes flitting to the darkened window next to hers, he didn't want to wake Charlie.

She heaved a sigh and ran the idea through her mind. Telling him no was something she felt like she'd been doing far too often lately.

Bella nodded her consent and silently stepped back from the window.

He was on his feet in her room seconds later.

She crossed her arms over her slender frame and turned her dark eyes to his.

Jake was standing close enough for her to feel the heat radiating off of him. He'd managed to put clothes on for once, a fitted black shirt and dark cargo shorts. She wasn't sure if she was grateful for his covered chest or sad because she'd grown so accustomed to seeing it.

"So what was so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" She asked as she moved to sit on her bed, putting a little distance between her and her best friend.

She watched the emotions race across her face, so fast she couldn't fully identify one before the next arrived.

He ran a hand through her short black hair and sighed. This was not how he wanted to do this but he was now out of options. Her wedding was less than a week away, waiting was no longer a possibility.

"I need to tell you something." He confessed, sinking onto the bed beside her.

She turned to face him, waiting expectantly.

"I know I've done nothing but ask you not to do this, not to go through with it, not to make the decision to end your life. But I realized all I was doing was asking, I wasn't explaining, at least not in the way that I should have been."

Her brow furrowed. "Jake, you need to help me out here. I'm trying to read between the lines but it's a little vague." She told him, tentatively resting a hand on his arm.

He sighed heavily.

"Bells… Honey, I imprinted." He replied quietly.

She recoiled instantly. She jerked her hand back and turned away.

Her reaction, she knew, was unwarranted. She had no claim on the russet skinned boy sitting next to her. He was most definitely not hers. But the clench of her heart, the woosh of the gasp, she couldn't control it, she couldn't keep it in.

He halted her frantic reaction with a firm hand on her arm.

"Bella… I imprinted… I imprinted on you." He croaked out, not quite believing the words himself.

Her eyes widened, her breath caught, her actions froze.

_That…_ That was not what she was expecting.

"Breathe Bells. It helps if you breathe." He muttered, squeezing her hand in his.

She pushed out a breath and shook her head.

"I don't… You said… Isn't there… I'm not…"

"You should try finishing one of those…" He murmured, offering a small smile.

She sucked in a breath and turned her dark gaze to his.

"You told me you hadn't imprinted. You said I'd know if you had." She reminded him.

He nodded, not denying it.

"I know. I… Bells, I didn't think you wanted this. I didn't want to you to think… I wanted you to be happy… I wanted you to choose me because you wanted me, not because you felt you had to." He fumbled, hoping his explanation made sense.

She ran a trembling hand through her hair in a failed attempt to calm herself.

"Then why now?" She finally questioned, almost hating herself for the bluntness of the question.

He'd expected that. He knew his motives would be questioned. He was prepared.

"Because I can't… I can't let you leave without knowing. I can't let you move all the way across the country without me at least telling you. It… It hurts. I hate it, I hate that I'm tied to you like this, I wanted it to be a choice, for both of us. I wanted to you to be able to do and go wherever you wanted. And you still can, I just…"

She understood. She knew what he was trying to say. This wasn't what he wanted but the imprint compelled him.

"Look, you know the drill. You don't have to accept it – I can figure it out. I'll make it so-"

She cut him off with the soft brush of her lips against his. He froze, not entirely comprehending what was happening.

He lips moved softly against his, her hands creeping up to grip his biceps in her lithe fingers.

He wasted no time in responding. He pulled her to him, taking control of the kiss, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue, asking for entrance.

She granted it, moving her arms up to clasp around his neck. Her need for him felt like her need for oxygen.

He broke free after a long moment, resting his forehead against hers. This had all taken a very unexpected turn.

"What… What does this mean Bells? You can't just… Just kiss me… And not expect me…" He trailed off, not exactly certain of how he wanted to end that statement.

She blew out a soft breath, her hands now resting on his shoulders.

"I know… I just… I need to think. Give me the weekend."

As if he could deny her anything.

A/N: Ok, so there's the first chapter. Short I know, but it was either this or a ridiculously long chapter, and I think this was a good place to break off. Please, tell me what you think, and if you're willing to beta, let me know!


	2. Love Comes Tumbling Down

A/N: All, first of all, thank you for clicking. I'm not new to the FF world, I've been writing for awhile, for shows like Glee, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Office, Grey's Anatomy, House, etc. but I'm new to Twilight, so I'd really appreciate your feedback. I apologize in advance for any tense changes, I'm working on that.

As of right now, I'm not planning to switch POV's – it will all be told from 3rd person perspective.

I am working on a beta – I have one prospect, just waiting for her to get back to me. Arianmaiden, if you see this, check you PM inbox!

ALSO, I KNOW THERE'S NO MENTION OF PAUL OR EMBRY YET, BUT THIS IS THE SET UP. WE'LL SEE THEM IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, PROMISE!

Run Right Into You

Chapter 2: Love Comes Tumbling Down

48 hours.

48 hours to decide whether or not she would change the course of her life.

48 hours to figure out who she loved more.

48 hours to choose between life and death.

48 hours was most definitely _not_ enough time.

But it was all she had. It was all she asked for.

Making it work was the only option.

So she closed herself off, burrowed into her world and tried to figure out what her true path would be.

In the end, for all the debating, all the consideration given, it all lead to one very simple notion: In her moment of need, in the worst moment of her life, it was Jacob who picked her up and put it back together. He was the one who saved her when Edward broke her. Jacob would be the man who held her together.

Sunday evening had her sitting on the edge of her bed, waiting for Edward. She'd texted him, requesting his presence several minutes earlier.

She passed the little time she'd have to wait by collecting together a few of his things and slipping them into a small box. A shirt of his, a couple of small trinkets he'd given her, and of course, the ring.

His feet landed silently on the floor behind her. The hairs on her neck stood up. She knew without turning around that he'd arrived.

Bella turned slowly to meet the amber gaze of the man she'd been so sure was the love of her life.

"Bella, love, what is it? You sounded frantic on the phone." He asked as he settled on the bed next to her.

She gulped in a tremulous breath. He hadn't given any indication he knew anything, which meant Jake had kept his distance. For that, she was grateful.

She turned her body to face his and met his unwavering gaze.

"Edward… I have… I've done some… Soul searching. In my heart, as much as I love you, this…we… it's not enough. I'm sorry, I can't… I can't go down this road with you. It's not my path… Not anymore." She fumbled out, hating herself for blurting the words out in such a blatant fashion.

He heaved a soft sigh. He supposed he wasn't surprised. Her connection to the wolf was undeniable, and he'd promised himself that he'd do whatever it took to keep her happy, even if that meant giving her up.

He grasped her small hand in his. "This will… This will make you happy." He stated, not bothering to phrase his words into a question. He knew her answer.

She nodded solemnly.

Edward leaned over, pressed his lips to her forehead in a small, farewell kiss.

He released her soft hands and stood. "Be happy Isabella, no matter what it takes. Life is only worth living if you're happy." He grabbed the small box from the bed behind her and with a final, lingering gaze, he was gone.

The Cullens would be gone by Tuesday afternoon.

10:56 PM. The clock on her dashboard offered her the time as she navigated the truck down the familiar roads to La Push. She'd debated picking up the phone but figured it was better to tell him in person than over the phone. The grin on her face felt like it had been permanently glued there. Something about choosing to live had stirred up a heavily emotional response.

Jake had mentioned they would be celebrating Embry's 17th birthday on First Beach should she want to join, so she knew they'd still be down on the cool sand, should she want to join.

She elected to park further away than normal and enjoy a quiet late evening stroll.

Her footsteps went unnoticed, which was unusual. Normally, one of them was onto her by this point, usually whoever was patrolling. But then, everyone was a touch more relaxed when there was a party going on.

Soon, the sounds of laughter filled her ears. Her lips turned up into a smile when she heard Jake's distinctive howl. They were obviously having a great time. She quickened her step in an effort to reach her destination sooner.

She was just about to break through the trees, everyone in clear sight, when she heard Sam call everyone together.

"I'd just like to take a second to wish our brother a happy birthday and to congratulate Jake on the imprint!" Sam announced, everyone following with their cheers of approval.

Bella smiled. How very like Jacob, announcing his imprinting before she'd confirmed her decision. He'd always been just a touch over confident. Not quite cocky, but close.

She took only a step before Sam continued his jubilant speech.

"Sydney Call, we're thrilled to have you as part of our pack! Having witnessed the imprint myself, I don't think Jake could ask for a better partner!"

Bella's blood ran cold. Her breath caught in her throat as she released a silent gasp. She gripped a tree limb tightly in an effort to hold herself upright. Her gaze fell to the man she'd chosen, the man she'd come to see… The man she'd decided to spend forever with. Said man had a small, dark skinned woman tucked into his side, his arm firmly wrapped around her waist.

_He imprinted… He imprinted on Embry Call's cousin._

_He lied… He lied to me to keep me here… He never…. He didn't… It wasn't real…_

She refused to allow herself to finish the thought. Continuing it would only bring pain, more pain than she was prepared to take on at that point in time. More pain that she'd ever be willing to assume again.

Bella turned her eyes from the bonfire and hurried through the forest as quickly as her feet would allow, not bothering to notice the one head that had turned when she beat her hasty retreat.

That night would be her last in Forks for five years.


	3. All We Are

A/N: All, first of all, thank you for clicking. I hope you enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Also, this is purely a work of fiction. My name is most definitely NOT Stephanie Meyer so clearly Twilight doesn't belong to me.

To those who reviewed/favorite/alerted me… You are all very awesome and welcoming people. As I've mentioned, I'm new here so it's nice to feel so welcome!

Run Right Into You

Chapter 3: All We Are

It's funny how life has a way of drawing you right back to the last place you want to be.

Charlie was sick. Not in the "cough, cough, I don't feel so good" way, it was more in in the "I'm sorry, I don't remember your name, who are you again?" way.

Alzheimer's. She'd gotten the call a month earlier.

_Flashback_

"_Bells, its dad."_

_She dropped her notes for her pysch class final and sat back against her headboard to engage in conversation with her father for a few minutes._

"_What's up pops?" She asked conversationally._

_Her question was met with a momentary silence. Those were never good. Charlie wasn't much for words but when he had some to get out, he usually got them out quickly and directly._

"_I didn't want to do this over the phone but you're so damned set against coming back here… And Sue told me she'd call if I didn't…" He muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the weight of their conversation._

_She stiffened. Something was clearly wrong._

"_I've been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Bells. It's early but it's progressing. I know you got a life now, but I just thought… I just didn't want you to call one day and find out I don't know who you are." He choked out, doing his best to keep his tears at bay._

_Bella squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed her sob._

"_I'm done in a month. I'll be back then." Past be damned, she wasn't going to lose her father because of her pride._

"_Bella, you don't-" He attempted feebly. _

_She knew asking her to return was not part of her plan. Her father was many things, underhanded was not one of them._

"_Dad, it's my life, it's my choice. I'm done in a month. I'll be back then._

_End Flashback_

She kept her word. She spoke with her father daily and finished her final year at KU. She graduated with a degree in education and a minor in small business studies. She packed up her apartment, said goodbye to the few friends she'd made along the way and boarded a plane bound for Seattle.

He'd insisted on picking her up. She'd debated asking him if he was in any condition to be doing that but thought better of it.

Her plane landed in Seattle a bit after 6 pm. She gathered her single piece of luggage she'd brought along. She'd thought ahead and shipped her belongings to her father ahead of her.

As promised, Charlie was waiting in the express pick up line outside. It was drizzling and cool when she passed through the automated doors. She shouldered her carry on and her face broke into a smile at the sight of her ancient red truck.

Bella tossed her suitcase in the back and wrenched open the passenger side door.

He greeted her with a small grin and a hard, one armed hug. "Good to have you back kiddo, even if it isn't under the best circumstances." He muttered as he navigated them out of the busy airport.

She offered a small half smile and sighed. "Dad, let's not… Let's not worry about why I'm here ok?" She suggested softly.

"You got it Bells." He agreed with a quiet sigh of his own.

The drive back to Forks was over 3 hours long but for once, the drive didn't bother her. The trip back was filled with conversation, a bit of a rarity for father and daughter, as neither of them had never been much for words when it came to one another. Perhaps it was the prospect of losing her father to a memory crippling illness that provoked her desire to talk to him.

"How're things at the rez? You mentioned Sue, but what about the Blacks?" She questioned cautiously. Charlie was far from stupid, he'd known a bit of her history with Jake, but she felt compelled to ask, she needed to know what she was dealing with.

Charlie cleared his throat and sent her a side glance. "Well I guess I should tell you." He murmured, switching hands on the steering wheel.

She turned to face her father, braced herself for whatever he might have to say.

"He's married, Bells. He married a Makah girl named Sydney. I think she's Jake's friend's cousin. They got married awhile after you left. They uh… They have a daughter… She's 3. Her name's Libby."

Bella swallowed deeply and took a moment to process the new information. She'd gotten over the loss of Jake during her time in Kansas. It had proved to be a bigger feat than she'd originally anticipated but she'd done it. She'd done it because she couldn't… she couldn't go back to that person she'd been when Edward had left. That person… That girl… That wasn't her anymore.

But this information? It was more than a little tough to swallow. She had to push it aside though. She wasn't here for Jake. She was here for Charlie.

"Thanks for telling me, dad. That's good… I'm glad he's happy. Does… Does he know I'm coming back?" She forced out, turning her gaze to the window, not entirely sure what she wanted the answer to be.

"Well, I imagine he must. Billy knows I called you. I mentioned to him you were coming back." He admitted at last.

To this, she said nothing.

Charlie, thankfully, seemed to understand she was no longer interested in speaking about Jake and moved the conversation to more neutral territory.

It was late when he pulled into the drive. She grabbed her bag before he could and made her way inside. A cursory check of the kitchen rendered a bare cupboard and nearly empty fridge. She'd go shopping in the morning.

She kissed Charlie's cheek and bid him goodnight before making her way up to her old room.

It remained unchanged, though she could tell it had been cleaned recently.

_Sue, I'm sure. Charlie's incapable of picking up a can of Pledge._

Her few boxes of belongings were stacked neatly against the far wall. She dropped her bag and dug through it. She quickly removed a set of pajamas and tossed them on the bed. A bit more digging provided a pair of dark jeans, a hunter green long sleeved tee and a fresh set of underwear for the morning. She planned to hit the grocery store first thing when she got up.

Sleep came easily that night, despite the never ending thoughts that insistently swirled through her mind.

Her alarm blared out the 7 am hour loudly in her ear. She smacked the old clock twice before it mercifully shut off.

Bella stumbled sleepily to the small bathroom down the hall from her room.

The shower was warm and inviting. She let herself linger, enjoying the warmth the hot beads of water provided. Her skin pinked under the heat of the shower. It was 7:30 by the time she'd exited the shower, dressed, and made her way downstairs.

She surveyed the meager supplies in her father's kitchen before putting together a list of necessary groceries. Charlie ambled in just as she was slipping the list into her bag.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and turned to face his only child. "Grocery store?" He asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

"Yep. Can't cook without the basics." She replied softly.

He grinned. "Can't say I'm disappointed that you'll be cooking. Here, use my card." He told her, pulling his debit card from his wallet.

"Dad, I-"

He cut her off. "Do you really think I'm going to let my daughter pay for my groceries?" Charlie questioned, his eyebrows in his hair.

She sighed and shook her head. "Go on. Honk when you get back and I'll help you unload." He told her as he tucked the paper under his arm and headed off to the living room to catch up on the day's events.

Bella was happy to find the grocery store layout had not changed. She grabbed a cart and began her journey through the aisles.

She hadn't made it but four aisles when she swung around a corner and right into a display of a new brand of barbeque sauce.

Her face flamed as she scrambled to the mess, quickly replacing the fallen bottles, thanking the grocery gods for packaging the sauce in plastic bottles.

"Well, it's nice to see that even after 5 years, you're still you." A voice above and behind her commented, obviously amused.

She whipped around and found herself eye to knee with a man and his cart. Her gaze shifted upwards to his face.

"Embry!" She exclaimed, a smile broke across her face. The barbeque sauce forgotten, she leapt to her feet and threw her arms around the tall Quileute. He felt just as firm and muscular as she remembered. She'd missed this warmth, the way it felt to wrap around one of them. His muscles rippled under her touch and she briefly considered never letting go.

He didn't hesitate to return the warm gesture. His arms wrapped easily around the petite woman and he squeezed back firmly. Her head came only to his chest, his arms engulfed her.

Bella stepped back a moment later and offered him a grin. "It's really great to see you. I was hoping I might run into you guys soon." She admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

He opened his mouth to reply but a touch on her back surprised her. She whirled around.

There, sitting in the cart, was a small child with dark hair, deep brown eyes and the russet skin of a native.

She offered the little girl a small smile. "Hi there. I'm Bella. What's your name?"

"Libby!" The little one proclaimed with a toothy grin.

Bella stiffened at the little girl's announcement of her name.

A firm hand on her shoulder brought her back to the moment.

"Bella… I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd be here and… I'm watching her right now… Jake had to…" He fumbled lamely for an explanation but came up with nothing other that stuttered half sentences.

She laid a comforting hand on his arm, instantly soothed by the overwhelming warmth he radiated.

"Embry… It's alright. You have nothing to apologize for; it's not as if I called you to tell you I was coming to the store." She reminded him, her voice soft but firm.

"Still, I'm sure this is awkward for you… With the past and all… The way it all shook out… You shouldn't have had to find out that way." He murmured, his own cheeks tinged red from embarrassment.

At that, she froze. "What… Who… I didn't…"

He offered her a small smile. "I saw you… In the woods. I saw you when Sam announced Jake's imprinting. I saw you run away. I'm just… God, Bella, I'm so sorry. I should have… God, I should have done something, you know? I felt so terrible about the whole situation." He grated out, obviously uncomfortable.

"Em, listen. That was… That was a long time ago. You have nothing to apologize for, because you did nothing wrong. I've moved on. I'm fine, I promise." She assured him with a genuine smile.

He nodded, a small grin stretched across his face.

She turned briefly to pick up the last few dropped bottles of sauce before she straightened and turned to her cart, prepared to make her exit. She hadn't noticed he'd stepped closer to her.

"So if you're really ok, would it be out of line for me to ask you to go for a cup of coffee tonight, catch up maybe?" His hand was resting on her forearm, his voice was tentative and deep.

Bella smiled at the tall man she'd grown to consider a friend all those years ago. His dark eyes bore intensely into hers. She felt a small shiver run down her spine.

"I would love to. The diner?" She proposed.

"How about Sue's diner on the rez around 8? If that's ok?" He suggested as he fished out his phone. He silently handed it to her.

She knew what he wanted. She took it from him and in turn, handed him her own phone.

They quickly programmed their numbers and handed the phones back.

"Sounds perfect, I'll see you at 8." Belle replied. She stepped forward and wrapped him in a quick hug. "I'm glad I ran into you, it's been far too long." She whispered against his ear.

His arms tightened around her. "It has. I'm glad you're back, I plan to make it very tough for you if you ever try to leave again." He replied as he pulled back. He smiled warmly and squeezed her shoulder one last time.

She turned to Libby. "Bye Libby." She said softly, stroking the arm of the little girl. Libby giggled and waved awkwardly.

Bella finished her shopping in peace, her mind still on her interaction with Embry. She had spent plenty of time with the man during her motorcycle rebuilding days with Jake all those years ago, she truly had considered him a friend. But today… Today felt a touch different. She found herself looking forward to exploring what exactly felt so different.

She checked out, loaded the bags into her truck and pointed the old truck home.

Bella honked the horn twice as she pulled up to her father's house. The door didn't immediately open, so she slid out and started pulling bags out, placing them in front of the stoop so she could get them in easier.

She yanked out the fourth round of bags, turned and slammed into a uniformed chest. She backed up a step and nearly fell backwards onto her butt. Said chest also had arms and used them to keep her from keeling over.

"Man, you still have shit for balance. Guess some things never change." The chest muttered.

She turned her gaze up and her jaw dropped.

Paul Lahote. _Officer_ Paul Lahote.

"Not nice to stare, Swan. Kinda rude, in fact. You need help or not?" He questioned, his massive arms crossed over his chest, eyebrow cocked.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm good, _Officer._" She replied, drawing out her last word.

He barked out a laugh. "I do fill out the uniform pretty well, huh?" He suggested with a smirk. The uniform indicated he worked for the La Push Police Department.

She quirked her lips at him. "I guess the expression really does fit in this situation." She mused as she picked up a couple of bags and moved around him to go inside.

"What expression would that be Swan?" He asked as he swept up the rest of the bags and followed her.

"If you can't beat em', join em'." She threw back.

He cackled his response. "Look at you with a sense of humor. That's new. They teach you how to be funny out in Kansas?" He teased as he set the bags on the counter and turned his brawny body towards her.

"They taught me a lot in Kansas." She shot back with a wry grin. It had always been this way with Paul. They'd never really gotten to know each other all those years ago. They did, however, call a tentative truce. He promised Sam he'd stop calling her 'leech lover' and she swore she'd stop provoking their most volatile member. After that, the ragging was endless between the two. She'd never admit it to him, but she'd missed him a bit when she'd left.

She moved to turn back to the task at hand when he moved to her side. "For the record Swan, I did beat em', many times." He informed her, his mouth close to her ear, his breath hot against her skin.

Bella ticked an eyebrow at his statement. "I'm sure you did Paul, I'm sure you did." She mocked him, stroking a soothing hand down his bare forearm.

"Any excuse to touch me huh?" He slung back, his smirk firmly in place.

She opened her mouth to reply but she was cut off.

"Bella, I've been looking everywhere for my debit card, have you seen it?" Charlie questioned as he strode into the kitchen, wallet in hand.

She felt Paul's eyes on her. She smiled softly at her dad and took a step forward as she fished it out of her back pocket. "Here dad, you gave it to me this morning, to pay for the groceries."

"Groceries?" He wondered, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah dad, I left a few hours ago. You were out of food." She explained quietly, doing her best to hold back the watery tears that threatened to spill over.

She waited for recognition to spread across his face, prayed for the dawn of understanding but got nothing.

"Oh, right, of course. I must've forgotten. Thanks Bells." He replied awkwardly as he shoved the card back into his wallet. He turned and beat a hasty retreat.

Paul's eyes were sympathetic now, void of any mirth. "Don't you go soft on me Lahote, I don't need pity from anyone, least of all you." She warned as she braced herself on the kitchen counter and lowered her head to take it in. She knew she'd have to deal with it eventually, but the firsthand experience was still a bit daunting.

He was at her side in an instant. He rested a warm palm on her back. "It's not pity Swan. It's support. Get used to it, you're going to need it." He reassured her, his voice low and rumbly.

She attempted to rein it in, she really did, but seeing it, seeing her father battling the disease… She broke. She moved from the counter and turned her back to Paul before she swiped a hand across her face to clear the tears.

It didn't matter that she'd turned. A warm arm banded around her waist and spun her into his warm chest. Stupid wolfy sense of smell probably caught the scent of tears before they'd even fallen.

He gripped her for a few more seconds, let her cry on his chest, grieve for the loss of her father's memory before he pulled back.

Paul stooped to her height and gripped her shoulders in his hands. "Now you listen to me Swan. You had your moment, hell I'm sure you probably needed that. But now, it's done. That man needs you. He needs you be strong. He needs you to keep it together, we all do. You coming back here has been a big deal to Charlie and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you sit here and sob about this. It's happening, Swan, whether you like it or not. Now, go to the bathroom, dry your eyes, blow your nose and pull yourself together. When you come back, I expect you to be your normal pain in the ass self, get me?" He asked. His voice was firm but not harsh. His intentions were clear. He wasn't trying to be mean or hurtful; he was just trying to convey how important it was for her to hold herself together.

She squeezed his arm in appreciation and ducked into the bathroom.

As he requested, she returned a few minutes later as her "normal self" and resumed putting groceries away.

"Why are you here anyways?" She asked as she stacked the cans in the cuboard.

He grinned at her blunt question. _That's more like it._

"Your dad asked me over. He offered me a job here in Forks." Paul replied easily as he put the meat in the freezer.

"Oh yeah? What job?" She pressed as she turned to him.

She watched him closely. His shoulders dropped and his eyes closed briefly.

She took a step closer. "What job Paul?" She repeated, her tone lowered as she approached him.

He sighed out a heavy breath and turned to her. "His job. He wants me to be the new Chief here in Forks. Something about wanting to bow out gracefully. The department said he could pick whoever he wanted. He picked me."

Her shoulders slumped and she gripped her lower lip between her teeth as she held on to her self control as tightly as possible.

He sniffed quietly for tears but there were none.

"Well, I suppose it's good that he's prepared. I guess we'll be doing a lot of that in the next few months." She sighed out at last.

He let out an audible breath and nodded.

"What?" She asked, an eyebrow raised in question to his uncharacteristically quiet response.

"Nothing, just nice to see you listen to me once in awhile." He offered with a cheeky smile.

The groceries finished, she turned to the man standing in what she'd deemed her kitchen.

"Alright, I'm going to leave you to it, I'm going to head upstairs and get unpacked."

He nodded and she turned to leave.

A warm hand shot out to grab her wrist. She stopped and slid her gaze to his and waited.

"Swan, I'm glad you're here. We all are. We… We missed you." His thumb traced a pattern across the underside of her wrist.

Paul was rarely serious or sincere so she knew better than to take the obvious opportunity to mock him.

"I missed you too Paul." She whispered back, her dark eyes held his gaze, neither wavered nor looked away.

After a moment, he released her wrist. He offered her a nod and she started up the stairs.

"Swan?" He called up after her.

"Paul."

"I'm off tomorrow and Monday night." He informed her as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Well, that's great Paul. I'll make a note in my planner." She chirped back with a smirk as she leaned her slender frame against the railing.

"Great. Write 'Drinks and pool with Paul at 9 pm at Mill Creek Bar and Grill' in for tomorrow night."

She stared at him blankly. Was he… Was he asking her out?

"What? I'd guess you're just as bad at pool now as you were 5 years ago, but I'd still like to see for myself." He offered with a shrug and a self satisfied smirk.

"Suck it Lahote."

"Anytime Swan."

A/N: I OFFICIALLY HAVE A BETA! SUPER EXCITED! SO EXCITED THAT I SUBMITTED THIS WITHOUT HER FINAL SEAL!

She did assure me she liked it so I'm hoping for the best.

So now, Paul and Embry have made their entrances. I'm pretty excited about this chapter, I hope you enjoyed.


	4. Faster

A/N: All, first of all, thank you for clicking. I'm not new to the FF world, I've been writing for awhile, for shows like Glee, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Office, Grey's Anatomy, House, etc. but I'm new to Twilight, so I'd really appreciate your feedback. I apologize in advance for any tense changes, I'm working on that.

As of right now, I'm not planning to switch POV's – it will all be told from 3rd person perspective.

Wow. I am just… I'm totally blown away by you guys and your wonderful responses. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my little story.

ALSO: While imprinting is acknowledged, for the time being, neither of them will imprint on Bella. That might change but as of right now, it's not in the cards. Also, neither of them will imprint on anyone else.

Also worthy of noting: All my chapters are named for Matt Nathanson songs, including the title, which is a line from his newest song "Run" w/ Jennifer Nettles. Check it out. I think it's kind of fitting. Feel free to listen to the songs associated with each chapter, though sometimes they aren't connected inasmuch as I just thought the name of the song suited the chapter.

Run Right Into You

Chapter 4: Faster

As it turns out, unpacking even the most meager pile of boxes can take up an entire afternoon.

By the time Charlie poked his head in to check on her, it was nearing 5 pm.

"How's it coming Bells?" He inquired; his eyes took in the newly unpacked room. The empty boxes were stacked high outside the door.

She grinned and glanced around. "It's all done. I figured I'd take a quick shower to rinse off the dust and start dinner." She informed him.

He nodded his approval and padded off. She heard the soft sounds of ESPN a few moments later.

She grabbed her toiletries to make for the bathroom when her phone dinged.

**Embry: Hey there. Just wanted to make sure we were still on for tonight.**

**Bella: Yep. Looking forward to it actually.**

**Embry: I would hope so. See you soon.**

Her shower was quick this time but she stepped out feeling clean and refreshed.

She padded back to her bedroom, only to freeze by the door. All her empty boxes were gone.

"Dad? Did you move my empty boxes?" She asked from the top of the steps, prepared to berate the older man for not waiting for her to help.

"Paul volunteered before he left." Charlie called back up.

Her phone dinged a moment after Charlie answered. She grabbed it from her bed and glanced down at it. She had a text message from Paul. She wrinkled her brow. She was fairly certain she didn't have his number saved in her phone.

**Paul: You're welcome.**

**Bella: It's not nice to touch my things when I'm not around.**

**Paul: Please, you were in the shower. Not like you were that far away.**

**Bella: Awfully presumptuous of you to assume I wanted your number.**

**Paul: Awfully presumptuous of you to assume my motives were selfish.**

**Bella: Aren't they always?**

**Paul: Touché. Don't forget about tomorrow.**

**Bella: How could I? You told me to write it down.**

**Paul: It's in your phone now too.**

**Bella: PAUL! Hands off!**

**Paul: We'll see if you still feel that way tomorrow.**

She grinned at his ridiculously forward message and shoved the phone in her pocket.

Bella surveyed her options for the evening. It was only coffee, no need to dress up. But, a nagging part of her insisted she at least attempt to appear presentable.

Dark jeans and a black v-neck sweater seemed appropriate. She shoved her feet into her black Converse low-tops and allowed her hair to dry naturally; it was a bit wavy and fuller when she didn't tame it into submission.

Dinner was a quiet affair. She pulled together a chicken and vegetable casserole with a salad and garlic bread. Charlie wolfed it down before he smiled his appreciation.

His dishes clattered into the sink, the noise pulled her from her thoughts.

"Got anything goin' tonight Bella?" Charlie asked as he rinsed off the few items she'd used to prepare dinner before loading them into the dish washer.

She nodded. "I'm going to meet a friend for coffee, if that's ok with you. I mean, if you need me-"

He held up a hand. "Bella, go, meet your friend. I'm fine. I promise." He reassured her.

They finished the dishes in silence. Her father flicked the TV back on to catch the latest edition of Sportscenter.

It was only 7 pm, she had a half an hour to kill. She ran a hand through her hair and picked up her newest book. She lost herself in the pages and nearly jumped out of her chair when the small clock chimed the 7:30 hour.

She slid the book onto the table and got to her feet. "I'll be back later dad." She told him as she pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head.

"Have fun kiddo." He called, not bothering to tear his eyes from the TV.

The drive was nostalgic. It had been 5 long years since she'd stepped foot onto the reservation. And there she was, pointed right towards the one place she'd promised she'd never return.

But, as with everything else, she had to find a way past it. It was ridiculous to think she'd never come back there, especially now, with Charlie sick.

Embry was a good excuse to make the first trip. Sue's Diner was quiet, close to the border and Embry wouldn't pressure her to go anywhere else.

It was as good a start as she could have hoped for.

She pulled the beast into a spot at the end of the first row and slid out. Her eyes scanned the area. She hated herself in that moment. She wasn't just looking… She was searching, scanning to be sure that she was alone. While she was over what had transpired between them, she wasn't ready for any face to face interaction with Jake just yet.

The diner was quiet, only two other cars in the lot. For that, she was grateful.

She strode through the single door and into the warmth of the small diner. She'd loved this diner when she was younger. She scanned the worn booths and found the man she'd agreed to meet holed up in a small horseshoe shaped booth on the other side, facing away from her, his gaze was trained on the fading sunset so he didn't see her approach.

But that didn't mean he couldn't hear or smell her.

She clapped her hands over his eyes and waited.

He chuckled deeply and wrapped strong hands around each of her wrists. "Glad you could make it, Bella."

"Damn you and your super human senses. You make it impossible to surprise you." She grumbled as he released her and moved to let her slide in next to him.

He offered her a good natured grin as he slid over to give her space to sit. "If you want to go back outside and come in again, I promise I'll be surprised." He joked as he took a pull off the coffee in front of him.

Their waitress came by with a coffee mug and a full pot of coffee. She set the mug in front of Bella put the pot between them. Embry thanked her and turned back to the brunette in front of him.

"So… 5 years is a long time. Especially since you never called, texted, emailed…." He trailed off, his dark eyes shifted from the setting sun to her face.

He wanted an explanation. It wasn't an unfair request. They'd been friends before she'd left. And she hadn't exactly offered up any goodbyes. This… She could give him this.

"Em… When I left, I wanted a clean break. I needed to cut the ties. After… After he imprinted, I didn't want to be part of this world anymore. And cutting off everything was the only way I could do it." She offered, her voice soft, pleading for him to understand.

He was silent as he digested her reasoning. He understood, he really did. He'd seen the pain in her eyes when she'd found out the truth, when she'd come face to face with the lie. He'd seen it and his first instinct had been to follow her, make sure she was OK. He hadn't though… That would have been the last thing she'd wanted.

"I know you said you were over it and you don't want him anymore, but I want you to know, I… We didn't let him off easy. He told us about what he did. We all thought it was pretty awful. I guess you could say we had your back." He blushed at his admission, he wasn't sure if it was something she wanted to hear.

She placed a hand on his sinewy forearm. "That means a lot Em, thank you. I won't lie, its tough being back here, since the last time was so…." She muttered, unsure of how to phrase her thoughts.

"Heartbreaking?" He suggested.

Her gaze met his. "Eye opening."

He slid his arm back towards him until his fingertips grazed hers. "I think we need a change of subject, agree?" He questioned, his eyes seemed lighter now.

Bella's lips tilted up into a small half smile as she nodded her agreement.

"How're things with your dad?" He opened as he turned her hand over, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along the lines of her palm.

His ministrations felt strangely intimate but she didn't pause too long to think about or question it.

"It's still early from what he tells me. We have an appointment next week with his doctor. And I still need to find him an attorney so we can start sorting things out. He's planning to retire soon, he picked Paul to replace him. It's all just… It's incredibly overwhelming. I have no experience dealing with this, I don't know what to do. Honestly, I feel a little helpless. But, it's Charlie. He's my dad, I have to do this." She finished softly.

His fingers never stilled, the gesture seemed to calm her.

"Bell, you're doing what you can, the best way you can. That's all anyone can ask of you. Charlie's thrilled you're here, no one says you have to be an expert. All you need to do is be there." He reminded her.

"I know. Paul bluntly pointed that out earlier. But he was right, I need to keep it together. She acquiesced.

Her gaze turned to the large window. The sun had finished its descent and left them with the star spattered night sky. She found herself lost in the twinkling patterns stretched across the sky.

"So you've seen Paul huh?" Embry asked casually, his question bringing Bella back to the present. He'd pulled his hand back. She found herself missing the feel of his hand on hers.

She brought her gaze back to the man sitting patiently next to her. "Yep. He was with my dad when I got back this morning. I guess Charlie formally offered him the job this morning."

Embry processed the new information. "I'm pretty sure that means Paul has to move to Forks. Clallam County requires police officers to live in the city they police in." He explained.

Bella shrugged. "I didn't stick around for their talk, I'm sure he'll probably tell me all about it tomorrow evening, we're meeting up at some hang out of his." She offered up as she took a large swallow of her coffee.

Embry bristled lightly at this revelation. He wasn't in Paul's head anymore but that didn't mean he wasn't aware of his pack brother's tendencies.

Bella took his silence as her cue to move the conversation along.

"So I'm curious. Are you guys still… You know, wolfing out?"

He brayed out a laugh. "I guess that's one way to put it. And no, not so much, no real reason to anymore. Some of the younger ones still do but most of us older wolves have stopped. We still have all our abilities, the heightened sense of smell and hearing, the extreme body temperature, that all stayed with us. But, you know, family and work sort of make being a wolf a bit more complicated." He explained.

She smiled and nodded in agreement. "What are you doing for work nowadays?" Was her next question.

"I own a small auto repair place just up the road. It's not fancy but it pays my bills." Embry supplied bashfully.

"That's great, Em, really great. Must be nice working for yourself." She replied as she propped her chin on her hand.

"Are you planning to stick around long enough to get a job?" He asked, deciding it was time for him to ask some questions.

"I think I'm done with moving. I missed it here. This was the only place that felt like home to me. But as far as a job goes, I mean, I know I probably should get one, but with Charlie's condition, I'm just not so sure it's a good idea. He didn't even remember he gave me his debit card to buy groceries, or that I'd even gone to the store at all. And let's face it, it's not like it's going to get better."

_Fantastic. Great questions so far, what a nice path back to the land of the depressing. I'm making SUCH a great impression on her._

"Sorry, I didn't mean for that-" Embry attempted to apologize for his inadvertent slip up.

She brought a small hand up to rest on his muscled bicep. "Embry. Stop, you didn't know. No harm, no foul. Besides, it's part of my life now. Probably should get used to talking about it." She told him.

"So this is a permanent move huh? Are there any boys back in Kansas City nursing broken hearts?" He asked, hoping it would lighten the mood.

It worked. Her face broke into a grin and she chuckled. "Nope. No broken hearted boys. What about you, Mr. Call? Any wolf girl wannabees hanging out at your garage?" She shot back.

"No wolf girls. No rez girls. No girls at all. Well, I mean, unless you count my mom, or Emily, or Kim… Which I don't, for obvious reasons." He replied good naturedly.

Something about the prospect of Embry remaining single sent a small zing down her spine.

The rest of their conversation flowed after that. They caught up on life. He asked about college, she asked about his garage. It was simple with them, as if no time had passed at all.

Before either one realized it, their waitress was back. She politely informed them that they were closing and they needed to pay.

Embry threw down a few bills before Bella could even grab for her wallet.

She opened her mouth to protest.

"Bella. It's coffee. I'm not seventeen anymore. I can and will pay for this." He told her sternly, his gaze meeting hers, waiting for her to issue a challenge.

For once, she listened.

He slid out of the booth first and offered her his hand to pull her up. She accepted with no hesitation. He released her hand, only to place it at the small of her back as he guided her towards the door, throwing a wave to their waitress as they left.

Silently, he walked her to her car.

She turned to face him as she came to a stop at the driver's side door.

"This was great Embry, just what I needed."

She was so very close to him. Close enough to feel the heat that still radiated off of him. He was staring down at her, a small smile playing at his lips.

"I'm glad. It's been too long. I'm looking forward to doing it again." He told her, an uncharacteristically forward move on his part, but the whiff of competition Paul had given him was enough to spur him into action.

"How about dinner Friday? I'm cooking. Dad will eat with us but he has some meeting with the Elk Lodge afterwards. Maybe we can catch a late movie after we eat."

Her offer was rewarded with a grin of his own. "That sounds great. I'll see you then. Goodnight Bella." He whispered before he leaned down and brushed his lips to her cheek.

Her face flamed under his simple gesture. _There was no reason to get hot and bothered over a kiss on the cheek! _

She bit her lip and averted her gaze. Five years may have done her a world of good, but in the end, Bella was still Bella.

Embry passed his eyes over her once more, lightly sniffed the air, then granted her one last smile.

"Text me when you get home." He told her softly. He knew she'd seen him give the air a cursory whiff but he decided not to make a big deal of it.

She knew what he was sniffing for and she prayed to god he didn't smell it. She wasn't sure if she could deal with him having _intimate_ knowledge of her right now.

She nodded quietly and stepped into her truck. He watched her drive off before he turned for home.

As promised, she pulled out her phone once she got settled in her room.

**Bella: Home safe. Thank you again for a wonderful evening.**

**Embry: Anytime, B. You made my night, by the way.**

**Bella: Really? Numerous cups of coffee and talking about college did it for ya, huh?**

**Embry: At the risk of sounding incredibly sappy, it was just nice to be around you again. **

**Bella: You aren't a sap, it's nice to hear, and for what it's worth, I'd say the same about you.**

**Embry: I feel better. Night B. I'll talk to you tomorrow.**

**Bella: Night Em.**

Piercing sunlight was her alarm clock the next morning. Pure, unadulterated sun was a rarity in Forks.

She was showered and dressed by 10. Charlie had already gulped down a bowl of cereal by the time she tromped down the stairs.

"Morning Bells. How was your evening?" He questioned as she plopped down across from him on the couch.

"It was really great. Embry and I caught up over coffee down at Sue's Diner. It was great to spend time with him." She replied, her eyes trained on the TV broadcasting the morning news.

"Embry huh? He's got that repair shop down on the rez, right? Haven't seen him in awhile." Charlie commented around his coffee.

"Well you'll be seeing him Friday. He's coming over for dinner. I think we're going to catch a movie afterwards."

Charlie did his best to smother the telling grin on his face. In truth, he was glad his daughter was back and that she was making an attempt to move forward with her life.

"Dad, I know things are going to be changing a lot around here but what do you think about me getting some sort of job?" She mentioned, his opinion most definitely mattered on this subject, as he was the main reason she was back.

"I think that'd be fine Bella. I don't want to hold you back from living a normal life."

"You aren't holding me back. I'd like to do something with my business degree, I think. Maybe I could get something where I could work from home. Either that or someplace that needs help at night." She mused as she tucked her feet underneath her.

Charlie took a pull off his coffee and leaned back to think for a moment. "You know, I think Sue's looking for someone to help out with the books. She's pretty swamped, between the clinic and the diner, she hasn't been able to keep up." Charlie suggested after a brief moment.

She turned Charlie's suggestion over in her head. "That could work. I'll give her a call this week. Oh, and I'm going to set up a meeting with an attorney this week." She called as she took her cup to the sink.

He called back his agreement as she plodded up to her room to grab her current book. She glanced at her phone and saw it blinking. She had a new message.

**Paul: Swan are you up?**

**Bella: And at em'.**

**Paul: Cute. I'm just checking in. I'll pick you up at 8:30.**

**Bella: That's not necessary. I can drive.**

**Paul: Swan. I'm a police officer. And a man. And a werewolf. I'll pick you up.**

**Bella: Fair enough.**

**Paul: And feel free to slut it up a bit.**

**Bella: Really Paul? I have your permission? I should wear a wool turtleneck and snow pants for that comment.**

**Paul: You'd still be hot.**

**Bella: See you at 8:30.**

Her day passed fairly quickly. She set up a meeting with an attorney for the following week and managed to get a few loads of laundry done and scoured most of the house with her sponge and economy sized bottle of 409.

Charlie poked his head in her room around 6 announcing he was headed down to the rez.

"How are you getting there dad?" She questioned cautiously.

He fixed her with a hard look. "I thought I'd walk. La Push isn't that far, I figure I'll be there by midnight."

"Dad, don't be like this. I'm just concerned."

"I can find my way home Bells." He barked before he turned and stomped out of her room. The door slammed behind him a moment later.

She sighed heavily and reached for her phone.

**Bella: Pretty sure I just pushed Charlie a bit too far.**

**Embry: What happened?**

**Bella: I might've inadvertently questioned his ability to remember how to get to and from Billy's house. He stormed out a few minutes ago.**

**Embry: Yeah, OK I can see how that might've been a bit harsh. He's a grown man Bell. I'm sure he wants to function on his own for as long as possible.**

**Bella: You're right. I didn't think about that. Ugh, I'm no good at this. This was the exact opposite of what I was supposed to accomplish by moving back. **

**Embry: Don't beat yourself up over it. You're a concerned daughter. And he does have Alzheimer's. **

**Bella: I guess, but that doesn't exactly solve anything.**

**Embry: You have to trust him until the docs give you a reason not to.**

**Bella: I suppose you're right. I'll have to apologize in the morning. Oh, I told Charlie you were coming for dinner on Friday. He seemed pleased.**

**Embry: As pleased as you?**

**Bella: Cute. **

**Embry: Thanks, I try. **

**Bella: Have a good evening Em. Thanks for listening.**

**Embry: Anytime Bell.**

She glanced at the clock. It was time to jump in the shower. Her day of cleaning left her feeling grimy.

Bella soon found herself standing in her closet wrapped in a fluffy bath towel, contemplating her outfit options for the evening. Part of her wanted to punish Paul and wear the most hideous, lumpiest thing she owned. But the other part, the larger part, didn't want to ask for such an easy kick to her already fragile ego.

She settled on a pair of dark skinny jeans with a cream colored tank top. She grabbed a black blazer and a pair of black flats.

By 8:15 she was dressed, her hair was dried and fixed and she'd managed a hint of makeup.

She'd never admit it to him but she was more than a little nervous. For whatever reason, she always felt a bit on edge with Paul. Maybe it was because she wasn't ever sure of what to expect from him when it came to his unpredictable reactions.

Lost in deep thought, she didn't register the knock on the door until he banged loudly, twice.

She leapt to her feet and scurried to the door.

"Damn Swan, what took so long? You forget how legs work?" He asked as she swung open the door.

"Sorry, my mind was wandering, lost track of time." She apologized softly.

But he didn't exactly hear her. His eyes were too busy roaming the small petite brunette in front of him. After a few moments, his eyes snapped back to hers and he grinned.

"Glad to see you didn't go with the wool turtleneck and snow pants." He informed her as he let her pass in front of him.

"Aw, thanks Paul. What a sweet compliment. You don't look hideous either." She shot back.

And it was the truth. He'd traded the uniform she'd seen him in yesterday for a pair of slightly loose dark blue jeans and a black shirt. She watched as his chest muscles rippled under the tight fitting shirt as he situated himself on a motorcycle.

WAIT! Motorcycle? He was picking her up on a _motorcycle?_

"C'mon Swan, we're burning the night time. Let's go." He insisted. He was holding out a helmet with one hand while he plopped his on his own head.

"Why don't I drive separately? That way you don't have to bring me home." She suggested, taking a small step backwards.

Paul sighed, pulled his leg back over the bike and stalked towards her, helmet in hand.

Silently, he placed the helmet on her head and quickly did up the straps.

"Now, I know you aren't scared, you've been on them before, and for some crazy ass reason, you trust me. And I know the last thing you're worried about is inconveniencing me, so this must be about Jake. I know you guys had a 'thing' with the bikes you rebuilt a few years back but it's time you get past that. So I figured the best way to do that was to replace the old memories with new ones. So, hop on Swan. I need to make sure we have enough time for me to destroy you in pool." He finished with a small smirk.

She rolled her eyes but followed him to the hulking machine. He swung his right leg over and situated himself. He gave her a quick nod and she mimicked his actions. She pushed on her helmet and secured her hands to his waist.

The bike roared to life underneath her. Bella couldn't tamp down the tingle of excitement that raced down her spine. She hadn't been on a bike in ages. She dug her fingers a little harder into his ribcage. She felt the vibrations of his laugh in her hands and her thighs, which were pressed tightly to his own.

"Don't go all soft on me now, Swan." He called over the sound of the loud motor.

She pinched his sides and shoved him lightly. Apparently that was all the encouragement he needed. He quickly shifted the bike into drive and pointed them towards the main drag in Forks.

The ride didn't take long. The rickety wooden sign for the Mill Creek Bar and Grill hung over a small building set a ways off the road.

He pulled into the semi-crowded parking lot and slid the bike into a spot close to the door.

Paul dismounted first and offered his hand. She accepted it gratefully and let him help her slide off.

Her fingers made quick work of her helmet. Paul took it and hung it from the back of his bike, along with his.

Bella could see immediately why Paul liked this place so much. The warmth hit her the moment she stepped inside. The place wasn't especially big but it was definitely popular. The walls were worn and bathed in light from the small lamps tucked into every nook and cranny. The bar itself ran along the length of one wall and appeared to be made of a deep cherry.

A large, warm palm pushed into her lower back and propelled her forward. "What's your poison?" He questioned once they reached the bar, his voice quiet in her ear.

"Beer's fine. I'm not much for anything else." She replied easily.

He grabbed them a couple of beers, handed one to her and steered her to a small empty pool table in the corner. He set down his beer and a tray of balls on a small rickety table nearby.

She took a long pull off her beer as he quickly racked up their first game.

"I'll break." He announced. She nodded her agreement as she meandered to the wall with the cue bracket mounted to it. She tested a few of them before grabbed the smallest she could find.

She strode back to the table as he lined up his first shot. Just as he was about to release, she used the end of her cue and poked him in the back of the knee.

He fumbled his shot and sent the cue ball sailing down towards the left corner pocket.

Paul whirled on her, his lips quirked up on one side. "What was that for?" He asked as he closed the distance between the two of them.

"Well, as you mentioned earlier, I'm a sucky pool player. So I decided to play defense instead." She explained, her chocolate eyes boring into his murky dark ones.

"Alright, who taught you the sports terms Swan?" He snarked back as she edged her body up into the chair she'd been leaning against.

He took advantage of her position and placed one hand on the table and one hand on the back of the tall chair, effectively caging her in.

"I've learned a lot in 5 years." She retorted, praying her blush wasn't as obvious as it felt like it was.

"Oh yeah? Like what? I'd be very interested to find out." He indicated, his face now level with yours.

She pressed a firm hand to his chest and attempted to push him backwards. He moved willingly, her tiny little arms had nothing on him.

She quickly chalked her cue stick, took a cursory glance around the table and took her shoot, effectively breaking the pack of balls and sinking two solids.

His dark gaze whipped from the table to her face. A slow grin spread across his lips.

"Well, well, well. Little Swan learned how to play pool. Impressive." He remarked as she moved around the table to take her next shot.

"Yeah, well when college students get bored, things happen. In my case 'strip pool' happened. I learned quickly after that." She replied, her eyes on the balls spread in front of her.

His eyebrows were in his hair. "Strip pool huh? Damn, I never thought of that. Next game?" He questioned hopefully.

"Shut it Lahote. I'm trying to concentrate here." She sniped back and leant down to take her next shot.

A whisper of a breath across the back of her neck fouled her shot.

"Damnit Paul!" She barked as she whirled on the tall man. Her attempt to sound angry fell on deaf ears as he grinned cockily at her.

He didn't even attempt an innocent look. "What? My mom always told me one good turn deserves another." She informed her as he stepped to the other side of the table.

"When did you ever listen to your mother?" She challenged playfully.

He shrugged. "When she called me in for dinner."

Bella barked out a laugh. She'd forgotten how quick witted Paul was.

"So how're things with Charlie today?" Paul asked as he came back to the table for a gulp of beer.

"Eh. Ok. I told him I was thinking about getting a job. He seemed on board with the idea. I'm supposed to talk to Sue Clearwater this week about maybe handling some of her paperwork but I'm not sure. Hey, do you know if this place is hiring? Seems like a decent spot to work." She remarked as she finished the last of her beer.

"You aren't going to work here." He informed her firmly as he rounded the table for his next shot.

She lowered her eyebrows and stared at him. "I'm sorry, what exactly do you mean?" She leveled him with a dangerous glare.

He seemed unaffected. "You can't work here. Cops hang out here." He vaguely elaborated as he sunk his target.

"Wow Paul. Really? That's your excuse? I can't work here because cops hang out here? That doesn't make any sense, you know that right? Wouldn't this be the safest place for me?" She retorted, clearly confused by his logic.

"Swan, just for once, can you listen to me? This place is fine for hanging out, but working here? No, I'd be up here all the time beating the shitheads off with a stick." He snorted as he dug a beer out of the bucket the waitress had just delivered.

"You're going to be the new chief of police. You can't do that." She reminded him.

To this, he rolled his eyes. "Ok Swan." He quickly sunk two more balls in a row before a distinctive scent wafted into his nose distracted him.

He glanced up. She was leaning against the table, beer in hand, smirk in place.

"Standing awfully close Swan." He muttered, not backing away.

"Close enough that you can smell me?" She needled as she took a quick sip of her beer.

He stifled a laugh. "I'm not really into the whole 'wolf pack' thing anymore Swan." He mentioned as he took a seat at the small table.

"I know. But Embry told me you guys still held onto your abilities." She replied as she plopped down next to him.

He stiffened at the sound of Embry's name. She'd been back in town less than a week and she'd already seen Embry?

"When did you see Call?" He questioned casually. His eyes betrayed him though. They always did. His stare was murky and intense.

"Last night. Went for coffee down at Sue's." She answered with a small smile.

Paul didn't like it. He didn't like it in the slightest. He'd never gone head to head with Embry over anything, mostly because he'd never seen the scrawny kid as a worthy opponent.

Clearly he'd missed something.

"So it's official then? You'll be taking dad's job?" She asked, looking for a change in subject as she leaned back in her chair.

"Yup. Probably start making the switch in a month or so. Gotta find a place up in Forks first." He replied easily.

"How do you feel about coming up here?" She pressed, curious as to how he felt about leaving his tribe and the reservation.

To this, he offered a shrug. "It'll be fine. I feel like all I do is sleep there nowadays. With the pack mostly consisting of the young kids, they don't really need me anymore, and I spend most of my time at the station. Forks is a good move for me, in more ways than one." He threw her a wink as he finished his statement.

Obviously the last part of that response was somewhat aimed at her. She felt a blush flush her cheeks and chest as she looked away, not trusting herself to make eye contact with the man sitting across from her.

He chuckled low in his throat. "Nice to know some things never change, huh? Tell me Swan, just how far down does that blush go?" He asked, his fingers now walking across the back of her chair. She felt a gentle tug as his long fingers twined in her hair. She turned to meet his gaze but fell short.

Instead of a response, all he got was a sharp gasp. For a moment he thought maybe he'd tugged too hard or gone too far.

He straightened and turned to her. But her eyes weren't on him. They were on the door, specifically _who_ was standing at the door.

"Jake." She breathed just at his former brother's gaze found them.

A/N: So now she's seen both boys, she's about to have a run-in with Jake…

Coming up: A couple of appointments with Charlie, dinner with Embry, a small jump in time, and maybe a confession or two… Stay tuned!


	5. To the Beat of Our Noisy  Hearts

A/N: All, first of all, thank you for clicking. I'm not new to the FF world, I've been writing for awhile, for shows like Glee, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Office, Grey's Anatomy, House, etc. but I'm new to Twilight, so I'd really appreciate your feedback. I apologize in advance for any tense changes, I'm working on that.

As of right now, I'm not planning to switch POV's – it will all be told from 3rd person perspective.

Wow. I am just… I'm totally blown away by you guys and your wonderful responses. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my little story.

ALSO: While imprinting is acknowledged, for the time being, neither of them will imprint on Bella. That might change but as of right now, it's not in the cards. Also, neither of them will imprint on anyone else.

Run Right Into You

Chapter 5: To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts

"Goddamnit." Paul muttered under his breath as Jacob quickly began moving in their direction.

Bella's eyes widened and turned to him. Obviously she hadn't been expecting this to happen so quickly. But his rapid approach was a clear indication that it was about to happen, regardless of what she wanted.

Paul smelled her anger and trepidation, hell he could practically taste it, it was rolling off her in waves.

"We can go if you want Swan. Slip out the back door over there. Not a problem. Owner and I are tight, he'll understand." Paul offered as he laid a protective hand on her shoulder.

For a brief moment, she considered the idea. It would certainly be the easy way out. And god knows she didn't want to do this right now.

She pushed the urge down. He would find her eventually. She'd known before she'd stepped off the plane that this moment was going to happen.

Bella laid her small hand on his and pulled it down, squeezing it softly. "It's OK. I got this." She reassured him.

Paul offered her hand a return squeeze and a tiny smirk. "Let em' have it Swan. I'll let you have a moment-" He started, beginning to pull his hand from hers.

She held fast and offered him a brief of her head. "Stay please. I think I might need some moral support. And a witness." She requested softly, the smallest of smiles pulling at her lips.

He said nothing. Instead he returned her nod and dropped his hand from hers and draped his arm possessively across her shoulders. He could be her backup if that's what she needed.

Jake quickly weaved his massive form through the crowd, his eyes on the woman who'd run out on him 5 years earlier.

Bella held his gaze as he came to a halt in front of her.

"Bella. Paul." Jacob greeted them warily. He wasn't quite sure what was going on and why they were there together but that wasn't important. That wasn't what he was here for.

"Jacob." She replied coolly, her stare never wavering.

He turned to Paul. "Lahote. Can you give us some privacy? I'd like a moment with Bella." He told his former pack brother.

Paul's lips turned up into a disdainful smirk. "Sorry Black but the midget asked that I stay around. Needs someone to witness what is surely going to be a total shitfest." Paul snarked back, his arm still firm around her shoulders.

Jake bit back a snarl. He wanted nothing more than to snipe back at Paul but decided against it. Clearly she was on more than solid terms with Paul and any attempt at removing him would be futile.

He turned his attention back to Bella. "I heard you were back." His opening was feeble at best but it was the best he'd come up with.

She offered him a brief nod and a small shrug. "I figured Charlie would tell your dad. And obviously you'd find out from Billy." She replied, her tone neutral and unexpressive.

Jake sighed heavily. There was so much he wanted to say, to explain. Finding the words seemed an impossible feat now that he was actually standing in front of her.

"Bella, I know this is about five years too late and you have every right to tell me off but I'd like to apologize. I shouldn't have lied, It was underhanded and-"

She'd let him speak for as long as she could. "Jacob. That's enough. This… This attempt at an apology? It's a waste of time. It would have been worthwhile 5 years ago, but now? It doesn't matter because you don't matter. It doesn't matter because it doesn't change anything. Your actions, your choices, none of that changes because of this. So I'm done. I'm very much done. There is nothing left to say so I'm done listening." She informed him, her eyes narrowed, her tone cool and detached.

"Bella, you can't just… I mean… We were friends for years…. I would… I'd like a chance to know you again… I know you say I don't matter, but I would like to, I would like to matter. My imprinting… It didn't… It didn't make me care less… When I found out you left him for me I was-"

Paul felt her tense under his arm and she turned her head slightly. He didn't doubt her when she told Jacob he didn't matter but that hardly meant she wanted to rehash the events that led to her five year absence from Forks.

"Black. That's enough. She told you she was done listening to you. The least you could do is respect that and walk away." Paul cut in, his voice laced with venom.

"Cut the shit Paul. We're not on the rez, you aren't the law here. Not yet anyways." Jake snapped back, agitated that Paul was getting involved.

"I don't need to be the law to remove you from this bar and you know that. So you can either walk yourself out or I'll help you out." Paul hissed, his hand closed warmly around the front of her shoulder.

She felt him vibrating slightly against her small frame. Even though he wasn't exactly phasing anymore didn't mean she wanted to give him a reason to start again. Bella reached her arm around his waist and gripped him. "Paul. It's alright. He's not worth it. You can't do this. It's been too long. Please, Paul." She murmured, knowing he could hear every word, hoping they would be enough to calm him.

After a moment, the vibrations slowed, then stopped.

Jake hesitated a moment before he turned his gaze back to Bella. "If you feel like talking, I'm-" He began before she stopped him.

"I'm sure I won't."

He nodded once to her cold response and quickly made his way out.

She waited until he was out of the bar before she expelled the breath she was holding and let her body sag against the white hot body behind her. The arm that had been hanging over her shoulder dropped to her waist and gripped her hip tightly. His head dropped to her hair and she felt him breathe deeply in, seeming to seek solace in her scent. He hadn't allowed himself to get that out of control in a long time.

"I'm sorry Swan. I had no idea he'd be here. If I had-"

It was her turn to cut Paul off. "Don't even begin to apologize. You had nothing to do with this. It was nothing more than a crappy coincidence. But still, thank you for staying with me and speaking up when I couldn't."

She pressed a small palm to his chest and sighed deeply. "Anytime Swan. Though I think now is a good time for us to head out." He suggested, knowing that their fun was over for the evening, thanks to Black.

She nodded her agreement. He quickly tossed out a couple of bills while she gathered up her belongings.

"Ready Swan?" He asked as he pushed his arms through his jacket. She nodded and slung her purse over her shoulder.

As if it was second nature, he tucked her small hand into his larger one and he led her out.

The air was cool against her skin and she was grateful for the soft leather jacket she'd grabbed before they left.

Paul picked up her helmet first and lightly placed it on her head. He offered her a small grin while he fastened his.

He slung his leg over and started up the stately beast. Once he was steady he nodded his approval for her to get on. He felt her hands on his shoulder and the bike shift slightly under her weight.

He relished in the feel of her body clinging tightly to his as he sped down the dark streets towards her home. He liked feeling her pressed up against him, holding onto him as the wind cut around them.

The ride was over much too soon for Bella's liking. He cut the engine the moment they pulled into her drive. He braced the bike with his feet and kicked the stand into place before she dismounted, he followed quickly behind her.

She unfastened the helmet and ran a hand through her certainly tangled hair as she turned her gaze to Paul.

Silently, he took the helmet and set it on the seat next to his own. Wordlessly, he stepped forward and wrapped her in a bone crushing hug.

His large hands arms banded securely around her, one at her waist, the other around her shoulders. Her head rested firmly against her chest as she held onto him.

Paul pulled back after a few moments. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get so clingy, I just didn't expect him and I haven't been that riled up in awhile." He muttered, coloring slightly from embarrassment.

She rolled her eyes and tapped his arm lightly with her hand. "Knock it off. Don't let him ruin what was otherwise a great evening." She requested, tucking her hands in her back pockets.

He stepped closer, inching further into her personal space. "It was a pretty awesome night. I'm glad you came out with me."

Bella gave him a good natured grin. "You put a notification in my phone and texted me. I hardly had a choice." She reminded him.

"Oh Swan. There's always a choice. Some are more exciting than others, but there's always a choice." He retorted. He knew he shouldn't be jabbing at Embry and he briefly wondered if she actually knew who/what he was actually talking about.

She raised her eyebrows and met his gaze.

_Oh yeah. She definitely got the reference._

"Speaking of exciting, what are you up to Friday night? I'm off early." He asked as he pulled his helmet back on.

"Dinner with Dad and Embry. Then I think we're going to catch a late movie." She informed him, a small smirk playing at her lips.

If this revelation bothered him, he didn't let on. "Oh, that's nice of you guys, taking Charlie with you. I'm sure he'll appreciate getting out of Forks, even if it just for a movie." He shot back, shit eating grin firmly in place.

"We aren't taking Charlie." She informed him, valiantly fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Have fun Swan." He replied merrily. He wrapped one arm around her waist and planted a firm kiss to her cheek. "Behave now, Embry's fragile."

She opened her mouth to reply but Paul, as always, had impeccable timing. The bike roared to life just as she attempted to refute his last statement.

When she tried to yell over the sound of the machine roaring to life he just shrugged and pointed to his ears while shaking his head.

She settled for pushing him firmly and flipping him the bird. He tipped his helmet to her and tore off down the road towards La Push.

Thirty five minutes later, just as she was settling into bed, her phone dinged.

**Paul: It's rude to flip people off. Especially people who just spent the evening buying you beer and letting you win at pool. Unless of course, you're making me an offer I couldn't refuse.**

**Bella: An offer? And letting me win!**

**Paul: You flipped me off. You know what that means. I was just asking if you were offering me something or just being rude.**

**Bella: Good night Paul.**

**Paul: Sleep well Swan. Dream of me. **

**Bella: You wish.**

**Paul: Every night.**

The rest of the week passed quickly. She met with Sue the very next evening to discuss exactly what she needed.

Bella quickly realized the older woman was overwhelmed. Sue was now managing the clinic as well as trying to run her diner with nearly no assistance. So when Bella offered up herself to Sue, the Quileute woman jumped on it.

It was quickly decided that Bella would handle all the paperwork, accounting and day to day operations for the diner. She was quite pleased, as she could do most of the work at home. When she did need to stop in on the diner, it would only be a brief visit and she could plan her stops around her own schedule. It was an ideal arrangement. She would start the following week.

Charlie gave her free reign to set up a small office in the basement. He'd finished it several years before and it stood empty now. He'd closed off a small section with the intention of turning it into a weight room. Bella had laughed for a full 2 minutes when he told her that.

The room was small but cozy. She spent the remainder of the week getting herself set up. Sue gave her an expense check to cover the cost of setting up her new workspace. Bella spent it wisely.

Friday dawned cool and damp in Forks. Bella's eyes cracked open at 7 am. The house was still quiet. Charlie had mentioned going in early the previous evening. She had the house to herself.

She lounged in bed, her eyes settling on the light rain falling outside the window. Rarely did she sleep in nowadays. It was nice not to have to jump right out of bed for once.

She curled onto her side, stuck her hand under her head and fell back asleep.

When she woke again, it was nearly 10. She smiled to herself as she gathered up a pair of jeans, a tank and a zip up hoodie.

Bella made the most of her day. She finished setting up her office, marinated the steaks they were having for dinner, took a nap, finished her new book and finished most of the laundry.

Dinner was firmly in hand by the time Charlie walked in at 5. He kissed her cheek and headed to the living room to catch up on what he'd missed in the world of sports.

"Dinner smells wonderful Bells. I'm looking forward to a quiet evening." He muttered as he putzed in for a second beer.

"Dad, don't forget. Embry's coming for dinner."

Charlie's face blanked at her reminder. She winced slightly when she realized Charlie hadn't remembered their plans.

"Embry…?" He questioned uneasily.

Bella set down the pot she'd been holding and wiped off her hands. "Yes, remember? I told you he was coming for dinner earlier this week."

Charlie scrunched his face, straining to remember said conversation.

After a moment he sighed, slumped his shoulders and nodded. She knew what that meant. He didn't remember at all.

"Go on dad. I'll call when dinner's ready."

She watching Charlie silently stride out of the kitchen and heaved a sigh as she slumped against the counter. Every time this happened, a little piece of her heart broke for the father she was slowly losing.

Paul's words echoed in her head.

"_That man needs you. He needs you be strong. He needs you to keep it together…"_

She nodded once, to herself before she pushed off the counter and resumed her preparation.

She'd told Embry he could come by around six. A glance at the clock showed 5:30.

Bella did a quick check of the kitchen. Everything seemed to be in hand. She had just enough time to dart upstairs, change her top and freshen up.

10 minutes later she returned to the kitchen in a fresh pair of jeans, a dark green top and slightly tamed hair.

A quiet knock at the door twenty minutes later signaled his arrival. He had perfect timing, she was just about to start serving.

She wiped her hands on the seat of her pants and strode to the door to let him in.

His tall, muscular frame filled the doorway. The distinctly 'Embry' combination of wood/musky garage/fresh soap assaulted her nostrils as she breathed him in.

Embry greeted her with a warm smile and a bottle of wine. "I wasn't sure if you liked wine but this is, well, it's pretty drinkable." He offered with a smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to drop a kiss on her head.

She leaned into his warm body, allowing the heat to seep through, warming her almost instantly.

She took the bottle of white wine and nodded her approval. "I like wine. Especially white, Thanks Em." She told him as she stepped back to let him in.

He stepped in and followed her to the kitchen. She was a bit nervous, he could smell her apprehension. He bit his lips to keep from smirking. It was nice to know he affected her.

"Can I help?" He asked, stepping up next to her.

"Sure. We're having steak, baked potatoes, corn, bread and salad. If you wouldn't mind slicing up the steak, I'll get everything else served up."

He did as he was asked and quickly sliced up the meat. "Smells awesome, Bella. I'm starving."

She put the plates and silverware on the table and turned to the cabinet with the wine. "Em, can you grab the glasses on the second shelf? I meant to move them lower but I forgot." She requested.

Embry nodded and easily grabbed the glasses. She stepped back and took a moment to let her eyes roam the olive skinned man in front of her.

His jeans rode low on his waist and the dark brown button down shirt was snug on his muscle bound frame. He'd rolled the sleeves up to his elbows at some point and his sinewy forearms were bare, save for a watch. His feet were encased in a pair of worn brown boots.

"It's not nice to stare, you know."

She was jerked out of her reverie by the voice of the man she'd been staring at. Her blush stained her cheeks and her upper chest.

"Sorry… I didn't… I was… You're just… You're.." She sputtered out, her face flaming as she attempted to formulate something that sounded like an explanation.

Embry took that moment to step into her personal space. His hand came up and he lightly pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her stumbling sentences.

"You like to look at me." He spoke plainly, the smallest of smiles just barely visible on his face.

_No point in denying it at this point… _

Wordlessly, she nodded.

"Good. Makes my liking to look at you a little less creepy." He replied, now offering her a full blown smile.

She grinned back and pushed him. "C'mon. I need to get dinner on the table."

Five minutes later the three of them were gathered at the table, digging into the feast Bella had prepared.

Embry and Charlie were midway through an intense debate regarding the Mariners bullpen when the back door banged open.

Paul's tall frame filled the doorway. He turned to the small kitchen table and offered the trio a quick smile. 

"Heya Swan. Charlie. Call." Paul greeted as he stepped into the kitchen, inhaling the aromatic scent of dinner.

"Paul. What brings you up this way?" Charlie asked as he wiped his mouth.

"Wanted to drop off all the paperwork you gave me, as well as my letter of intent." He explained with a grin as he leaned against the counter, slapping down a manila folder thick with paperwork.

Embry fixed him with a narrowed gaze. He was not pleased to see his former pack mate there. Not pleased _at all._ He knew Paul was taking Chief Swan's place but this little… 'drop in' seemed a little too intentional for his liking.

Charlie smiled broadly. He'd made no secret of the fact that he was pleased that Paul was going to be taking his place. "Have you eaten? We've got plenty if you have time." The older man offered genially.

Embry glanced over to Bella, looking for any sign that she might be uncomfortable with Charlie's suggestion, ready to step in if she was.

To his slight disappointment, she didn't seem bothered at all by the sudden appearance of Paul. In fact, she actually seemed happy to see him.

Paul glanced briefly at his former brother and then turned his gaze to the lone female at the table.

"As long as she doesn't mind, I'll stay."

Embry was not pleased with Paul's decision and he certainly wasn't pleased that Bella jumped up from the table and got Paul a plate and silverware.

Bella wasn't entirely sold on Paul's excuse for stopping in. The paperwork could've been dropped off at any time. This visit… This wasn't a coincidence… No, this was very much on purpose.

A small grin played at the corners of her mouth as she thought back on the last few moments of their conversation earlier in the week… He'd asked what she was doing Friday and hadn't seemed the least bit perturbed when she told him she had plans for dinner with Charlie and Embry.

Sneaky dog.

"So, when does the transition begin?' Bella asked as she set a plateful of food in front of him as he plopped down in the chair next to her.

"I'll probably start spending more time up this way in a few weeks. I'll be moving the first of next month." He informed her as he dug into the pile of food in front of him.

"Did you find a place?" She was downright curious now. He had just mentioned earlier in the week that he still needed to find a place up in Forks. Had he found one that quickly?

"Bells, you remember Ramona Keller from across the street? She's moving up to Seattle to be closer to her daughter and grandkids so she's selling her place. Well, I told Paul about the situation a couple of days ago…" Charlie trailed off, giving Paul the opportunity to share the news.

"I bought it. Closing in two weeks, I'll move it around the first." He happily obliged Charlie and shared his news.

Embry watched his former pack brother's gaze slide to the small woman next to him. She grinned broadly and closed her small fingers around his forearm. He'd kept silent for most of the conversation. He hadn't had much to say up until this point. But Paul moving to Forks? That spurred a response.

"Well, that's awfully convenient isn't it?" Embry remarked, doing his very best to keep his tone neutral. The last thing he needed was for Bella to think he was acting like a petulant child but he had to interject_ something._

Paul crooked an eyebrow at Embry and steadily held his gaze. For once, his expression was unreadable. He kept his mouth shut though, for once.

They finished dinner quickly, conversation flitting from sports to Embry's garage to Bella's plans with Sue. Before she realized it, it was nearing 7. "Embry, it's almost 7. We need to get going soon if we're going to make the movie." She told him as she started to gather the dishes.

Charlie laid a weathered hand on her arm. "Bells, I can handle the dishes. I'm sure Paul loves drying. We'll handle it. You guys go on." He suggested quietly.

Bella gave her father a quick hug and turned to Embry. "Let me just grab my sweater and I'll meet you at the front door." She told him as she darted to the living room, he ambled in behind her.

She shrugged into the sweater and met him at the front door. She grabbed her purse off the side table and slung it over her shoulder.

With no hesitation, Embry stepped to her side and tucked her hand into his. She leaned into him slightly, inhaling his unique musk once more.

"Ready B?" He asked with a small grin. She offered him a smile of her own and let him lead her out.

Just as she hit the door, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She felt eyes on her. A glance to the kitchen proved her right.

Paul was staring intently at her. His dark eyes were cloudy and unreadable. She gave him a small shrug of her shoulder and one corner of her mouth quirked upwards.

Her small recognition of his presence seemed to pacify him. His posture relaxed and he threw her a quick wink before she stepped out the door.

Embry insisted on driving up to Port Angeles. His truck was older but clearly well maintained. They made light conversation throughout the short trip, both very much enjoying each other's company.

The movie she picked was the newest Judd Apatow comedy which had them both rolling throughout most of the film.

They strolled out of the theater laughing at the outtakes and bloopers. Embry took a moment to glance at the young woman next to him. She looked so young in that moment, no burdens, no worries… She seemed so… free. He briefly wondered what it would take to make sure she never lost that look again…

He grabbed hold of her hand and tugged her into his side. He knew he'd been a bit forward with the hand holding, but she didn't seem to mind. If he was being honest, Paul was the initial reason for ramping up his game but she reacted so favorably that she'd managed to wipe all thoughts of the other man from his mind.

She squeezed his fingers as they strode through the parking lot to his truck.

This time, he held her hand through the entire journey back to her house.

He'd managed to push the boundaries that night. He'd pushed and she'd accepted.

He decided to push just a _little_ bit more. He needed her to understand _exactly_ what his intentions were.

The house was dark when he pulled up. She turned to push her door open when he wrapped a large hand around her bicep and tugged her back. She turned to face him, her eyes questioning his actions.

Embry didn't say anything. Instead, he gave into instinct and acted.

He leaned forward, cupped the back of her neck with one hand and pressed his lips to hers in a brief kiss.

Her eyes flew open in surprise. But they quickly fluttered shut as she let the tall Quileute with the soft lips kiss her.

Embry held himself back, keeping in check for fear that she didn't want this and would pull back. But she didn't. In fact, she did quite the opposite. Her lips were smooth and pliant and moved gently against his. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to bury his hands in her hair and claim her mouth with his.

But that wasn't what he was trying to accomplish, not at that point. He just needed her to remember he existed, that he was very much there and very much willing to step up his game.

He pulled back after only a few seconds, his cheeks a touch darker than normal.

When words failed him, he gave her a sheepish grin and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Night Bella. Sleep well." He murmured in her ear, pressing a gentle kiss to the shell before pulling back.

Her insides felt like jelly. Like warm, wiggly jelly. Her eyes were glazed over and her breath came out in a soft pant. She felt… She felt… Alive.

"Night Embry." She choked out as she slid from the cab and ambled inside, throwing him a quick wave before she shut the door.

He couldn't help the small smug smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

_Mission accomplished._

ONE MONTH LATER

Life had made Bella its bitch. That was the only way to put it. She felt like she'd been road hard and put away wet, more than once.

At least she could say she'd gotten some things accomplished. Her appointment with a lawyer had been successful. Her father's will had been modified and he'd laid out some requests for when his disease progressed to the point where he'd no longer recognize his own daughter. The mere thought of her father not knowing who she was sent chills slicing down her spine. He'd dictated what he wanted done with the house, his possessions and named Bella his Power of Attorney. The entire process, in Bella's opinion, had been utterly and completely depressing.

The doctor's appointment had been slightly less of a downer, believe it or not. His physician wanted to put Charlie in a drug trial for a new medication that would hit the market soon. Charlie had agreed and he'd started the trial only a week before.

The changes were subtle but they were there. Whatever he was on, it was helping, at least for the time being. The doctor had cautioned them that this was only a temporary solution, the equivalent of using a band aid to secure a bullet wound. It would not stop the Alzheimer's, it was only there to serve as a memory aid.

And as if that wasn't enough, she'd been officially working for Sue for going on three weeks. She'd nearly fallen to her knees and thanked the paperwork gods for Sue's precise way of organizing her business. Bella had managed to get everything under control within a week. She'd ironed out the small kinks and operations were now running smoothly.

_Paul and Embry_. She blew out a soft breath as the two men popped into her mind.

They haunted the dark corners of her psyche, waiting to jump out at her when she least expected it.

The last month had been something a whirlwind. She'd seen both men several times, more of Embry than Paul though. But with all the transitions and hours Paul was putting in to prepare for the big move, she wasn't surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised. Embry hadn't attempted to kiss her again since their movie night but surprisingly, things between them hadn't shifted to the awkward side at all. In fact, if anything, he seemed more comfortable with her. She'd wanted to breach the subject of said kiss more than once but every time she tried, she lost the words and the nerve. It was maddening.

It was maddening because she'd spent the better part of a month forcing herself to come to terms with her feelings… Her feelings for _both_ of them. She'd waged many an internal battle when it came to those two and she hadn't fared as well as she'd hoped. She had only recently accepted that her feelings extended beyond the boundaries of friendship for both men. She hadn't even begun to figure out exactly _how_ to deal with said feelings.

She was fairly confident Embry felt the same way. He'd gone pretty far out of his way to prove that, in fact. Paul was a bit more of a challenge. He wasn't exactly an open book when it came to his emotions. He was so shifty, so quick to change his tone, not to mention he was, by his own admission, a flirt. Needless to say, she was having a bit of a rough time determining where she stood with the tall, hot blooded man.

Said man came into her line of sight at that moment. She'd been gazing out the window, an open book in her lap, lost in thought, when he'd startled her by knocking loudly on the window.

She nearly jumped out of her skin before fixing him with a narrowed glare. He rolled his eyes and gestured for her to come out.

"You gonna sit on your ass or are you gonna actually help me?" He questioned as she stepped onto the front porch.

It was moving day for Paul. He was happy as fuck to finally get this transition completed.

Across the street Quil, Jared, Sam and Brady were quickly unloading a moving van. "You have four werewolves helping you. What on earth do you need me out here for?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

A cheeky grin spread across his face. "Well, someone's gotta make us lunch. Figured you'd be a good little squaw and throw something together for us." He suggested, waggling his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes at the nickname. She hadn't minded Swan, but squaw? He was just doing that to piss her off.

"How many times do I have to tell you Paul… I am not, nor will I ever be, your squaw." She poked him in the chest to accentuate her point.

He snatched the hand before she could fully pull it back. Of course, she tugged against him.

Paul rolled her eyes at her pathetic excuse for upper body strength. In one swift pull, she was pressed against her chest.

"C'mon Swan. You know there's a tiny little part of you that likes me calling you Squaw. It's a term of endearment." He told her, gripping her to him, his other hand now firmly pressed to her lower back.

She blew a stray hair from her face as she gazed up at him.

"I'm not Indian, but I'm pretty sure it's derogatory Paul. And I'm pretty sure you know that. Calling me 'woman' in your language is no better than calling me that in English." She snipped back, doing her very best to calm her hammering heart and ignore the heat radiating from him.

She knew it was futile when he smirked. She hated that he always knew _exactly_ what he was doing to her.

Bella waited for his smarmy retort, refusing to pull her eyes away until he did. But instead, he did nothing.

He dropped her hands and moved to let her pass, only to grasp her waist as she brushed by him.

Paul dropped his head to bring his mouth flush with her ear. He grinned when he felt her quick intake of breath and her heart jump. He gently placed his other hand on her neck. His thumb stroked the smooth skin just behind her ear.

"Sorry Swan. I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings, just having a little fun with you. I meant no disrespect. Maybe you'll let me make it up to you later…." He trailed off, his fingers tightening just a bit before he brushed the lightest of kisses to the shell of her ear.

She gulped in a calming breath and willed her stuttering heart back to a smoother beat.

"I suppose we could work something out. Now, go on, back to work. I have sandwiches to fix." She told him, brushing the pads of her fingers down his arm.

"Thanks Doll." He muttered, squeezing her hip before separating from her and bounding down the stairs, back to his side of the street.

Three days later, Bella took a call from Sue at 9 pm. "Hey Sue. What's up?" She questioned as she set her book down.

"Hi Bella. Sorry to bother so late. Callie just called me. Her daughter's pretty sick, she needs someone to close up so she can go get her from the sitter's. I'm on the night shift here at the clinic or I'd go, but-" Sue began to explain.

"Say no more. I'll head that way now." Bella cut in, already standing to stuff her feet into her shoes.

"You're an angel. Thanks dear. Call if you need anything." Sue thanked her and they hung up.

Bella grabbed her keys, gave Charlie a quick explanation and headed out.

She relieved Callie at 9:30. The young Quileute thanked her profusely and hurried to her car.

She set her purse on the counter and glanced through the diner. The only customer was Old Quil. He was sitting in the corner booth, finishing off a cup of coffee and flipping through the newspaper.

She busied herself with the nightly cleaning procedure, though it seemed that Callie got through most of it. Bella wiped a rag across the counters, set the empty coffee pots in the dishwasher, and wiped out the cupcake stand.

The door dinged at 9:50. Old Quil threw her a wave as he ambled off down the road.

She flipped the lights and began counting the drawer.

By 10:10 everything was done. She grabbed her belongings and made her way to her car.

"Bella!"

She turned at the sound of her name. Embry was striding towards her from the direction of his shop.

"Hi Em." She greeted as he pulled her in for a quick hug.

"I didn't know you'd be up here tonight." He commented as he walked her the rest of the way to her car.

"I didn't either. Last minute thing. Callie's daughter got sick so Sue called and asked me to come up and close." Bella explained as she unlocked the truck.

"I was going to call you tonight actually. But I guess it's probably better to do it in person." He mumbled, his cheeks warm, his tone low.

She cocked her head at him, confused as to what he was talking about.

He took in the confusion on her face and stepped closer, feeling the urge to be near her, feel her close to him. She calmed him.

"I was calling because I wanted to ask you out. One where I pay for dinner, I hold your hand… That sort of thing." He elaborated, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

"You do know we already do that. You never let me pay… You always hold my hand…." She gently reminded him.

One more step and he had her backed against the door of her truck. His muscled arms planted on either side of her shoulders, caging her in rather effectively. He leaned down until his eyes were even with hers.

"I'm talking about an actual date. One where I get to do all those things… And maybe make out with you for a little while. Not in the car though, cause that's a little high schoolish… Maybe on my couch… But there will be making out… And maybe, after awhile, you'll let me call you my girlfriend." He went on, his tone light and teasing.

She smiled softly and sighed. _If only it were that simple…_

"Embry…" She breathed out quietly, unsure of how to form the sentences she needed in order to explain her feelings.

He pushed back from her and stepped away, his hand buried in his hair in what she'd come to know as a gesture he reserved for when he was truly frustrated.

"Don't tell me you don't feel the same way. I know you do. I like you Bella. I like you and I don't just want to be your friend anymore. Hell, I _never_ wanted to be your friend. I've thought of you every night since you got back. I like you… I like you so much. God, and that kiss…. It's been on repeat in my head since it happened. I'm sorry if this is too much or if this isn't what you wanted to hear-" He rambled, clearly letting his nerves get the better of him.

"Embry." Her quiet voice speaking his name brought his word vomit to a halt.

He turned his gaze to hers and waited.

"I feel the same way." She breathed out softly.

A grin broke out across his face as he took a step closer, only to be stopped by the raising of her hand.

"I'm not done. I feel the same way about you. But I also… God, this already sounds ridiculous…. I also feel that way about someone else." She admitted, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment. She knew she didn't have to speak his name for Embry to know who she was talking about.

"Paul." He spoke flatly. He didn't bother to phrase it as a question because he was the only other option. If she wasn't with him, Charlie or working, she was with Paul. Embry was unaccustomed to competing with Paul and felt less than adequate when he compared himself to the other man. The thought of the other man having a claim on her had him shaking ever so slightly.

It was her who took a step forward into his space. She laid her palms on his broad chest in a silent plea to calm himself.

"I'm so sorry Em. I can't begin to tell you how much this has consumed me over the past month. I… I hate that it's not simpler… It's not fair… It's not fair to you, me, or Paul. It's been eating at me for a month. I've tried to figure it out, approached it from all angles, but at the end of the day…" She trailed off, finding it nearly impossible to finish her statement.

"You have feelings for both of us." He finished for her, his hands resting gently on her hips now.

She nodded, her eyes cast to the ground. She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.

Bella felt his fingers on her chin after a moment. He lifted her face until his dark eyes met hers.

"OK."

She gazed at him, confused by his single word statement. "OK… What?" She fumbled out.

"OK. I'll deal with it. I'll be understanding… I'll wait it out if you want to date both of us… Maybe, consider your options… If…. If it means I have a shot, I'll wait it out." He explained, his voice soft and reassuring.

_Was he really telling her he was OK with her dating both of them?_

"Oh Embry… God, I feel terrible." She mumbled softly.

"Don't. It doesn't matter. You're worth the wait." He reassured her as he wrapped her in a hug.

After a moment, he pulled back.

"You know, he might not even like me that way Em. This may be for nothing…" She reminded him.

He sighed softly and shook his head. "I wish that were the case, but honey, I think I know him a little better than you, trust me. As much as it pains me to admit this, he likes you." Embry confessed, hating himself for telling her.

She said nothing to this. She simply stepped forward, took his chin in her hand and pressed a small kiss to his lips.

He relished in the feel of her lips pressed to his. He gripped her hip, willing her to stay in place just a little longer. The whisper of a moan she released when he swiped his tongue along the seam of her lips was more than a little satisfying… Satisfying and arousing.

She broke away after a moment.

"Goodnight Embry."

"Night honey." He muttered, squeezing her hip once more before letting her go.

Her drive home was quick; she hadn't stopped thinking about her predicament since she'd pulled out of the diner parking lot. Embry's confession had been honest and heartfelt. It would have been so much easier if she didn't have feelings for Paul. She would've been free to date Embry, no messy feelings for a moody, brooding Chief of Police would've gotten in their way.

Her house was quiet when she pulled up. Charlie had taken to going to bed early, the medication he was on for the trial tended to induce drowsiness. She slipped from the cab of her truck and shut the door. She'd made it three steps before she was stopped.

"Swan."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew who was hailing her. Only one person, scratch that, werewolf, called her that.

She turned around, her eyes landing on Paul's front porch.

He was sitting outside, his front porch bathed in the soft light from the outdoor lamp hanging near the door.

Her feet moved of their own accord.

"What are you still doing up? Don't you have the early shift? It's nearly 11." She chided as she stepped onto the porch.

He gazed down at the small woman, unsure of exactly what he should tell her.

"Charlie told me you were heading up to the diner to close. Figured you'd be back by 10:30… It was getting late, so I thought I'd wait up." He admitted sheepishly as he took a seat on the porch swing.

"Worried about me?" She teased as she sat down next to him.

He used one foot to rock them as he stretched his arm over the back of the swing behind her.

"Well that truck is awfully old…" He muttered back, a hint of a smile visible on his face.

She nudged him in the ribs as she chuckled. "I would have been here sooner but I got caught talking to Embry. He asked me out, you know." The last part was almost rushed, she was slightly afraid of what he'd say.

There was a stutter in his swinging and his arm shifted but he remained quiet for a moment, considering his words carefully.

"What did you say?" He asked at last, going for the obvious question.

"I told him I felt the same way… But-"

"But what?" He butted in impatiently, not liking how this conversation was going.

"But that it wasn't as simple as yes or no. It wasn't that simple because I have feeling for someone else." She whispered out, knowing he could hear her.

Paul's fingers threaded through the ends of her hair as his breathing quickened.

"You do huh? Does Embry know the guy?" He questioned a few moments later, his voice low and soft. He didn't entirely trust himself not to sound like a complete idiot so he was very aware of how he sounded.

"He does. He does and he's not pleased. But he agreed to… Share me? I guess is the term… Provided the other man is interested, of course." She explained, not daring to look at his face.

"I see." Paul replied, his mind racing.

_This is it… Moment of truth. Do or die. _

"But the thing is… I don't know if he's actually interested. He's a little hard to read sometimes… And he's really flirtatious so I'm not sure where I stand… I guess I'm a little lost… What do you think I should do Paul?" She asked, her heart pounding in her chest. She cursed the Quileute legends for granting him the ability to hear, sense and smell her every emotion.

He sucked in a silent breath and sent up a quick prayer to Taha Aki.

"I think you should look at me." He whispered quietly.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned her face to his.

He gazed at her only for a second before leaning down and covering her lips with his.

She gasped in surprise at his action, she hadn't expected that. He took the opportunity and deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth, doing his best to put his feelings into his actions. She gripped his bicep as he curled the arm previously resting on the swing, around her shoulders, pressing her tight to him.

She gasped a bit for air when he released her.

"Does that answer your question?" He asked, resting his head against hers.

A/N: OK so there ya go! We have some progress…. I'm excited!

OK, I need your opinions. As of right now, I have not decided who she will end up with. But I need to know your thoughts on her physical relationships with the guys…How far should she go with both of them before she decides? I'd love to hear your thoughts.


	6. More Than This

A/N: You guys are the SHIT. For real, I'm not even kidding. MUCH love for all of your who are reviewing/favoriting/following/lurking!

A/N2: I put up a poll on my profile. Go check it out, give your opinion and I'll see what I can do!

ALSO: While imprinting is acknowledged, for the time being, neither of them will imprint on Bella. That might change but as of right now, it's not in the cards. Also, neither of them will imprint on anyone else.

Run Right Into You

Chapter 6: More Than This

It had been a full week. Seven agonizingly long days since she had seen either Embry or Paul. Don't ask her if she was avoiding them, because she would be happy to inform you she wasn't.

Not intentionally, anyway. Between a couple of check-ups for Charlie and filling in at the diner for Sue, she had kept herself fairly busy… Almost busy enough to convince herself she wasn't avoiding them.

Her moment with Paul had been on replay in her brain for the last several days... Not that she hadn't thought of Embry, because that certainly wasn't the case _at all._ It was just that her little 'encounter' with Paul was the last time she'd seen the both of them so it was the freshest moment she could call up.

She'd done her best to work out the tenuous situation in her head, to no avail. Of all the scenarios she had put together, dating the two of them at the same time had not been one of them. Bella still hadn't quite wrapped her brain around how she was supposed to accomplish such a thing _successfully_.

So, instead of dealing with it, she fled the scene, buried herself in dealing with Charlie and working for Sue.

Working for Sue was exactly what had her headed down the familiar path to La Push. It was her weekly visit to the diner and she had some paperwork for Sue to sign so she had to stop off at the clinic as well.

The soothing sounds of Toby Lightman's voice crackled softly through her ancient speakers. She dialed it up a few more notches and lost herself in the music… Lost herself so much that she almost didn't see the flashing red and blue lights behind her.

Furrowing her brow, she glimpsed down at her speedometer, she wasn't going above the limit and there hadn't been any lights or stop signs to run…

Nonetheless, she flicked on her right blinker and dutifully navigated the truck to the shoulder of the road.

She turned on her hazards and began fumbling through the glove compartment to locate her insurance card before thumbing her driver's license from her wallet.

Two loud taps against the glass window alerted her to the officer's presence. Bella turned to face her accuser, only to heave a sigh of relief.

It was Paul. _Of course_ it was Paul. That explained everything.

She stared defiantly at him through her closed window, eyebrows raised in question.

He tipped his head towards her, his dark metal aviators slid slightly down his nose as he met her dark gaze with his own.

"You can either open up or I'm coming in. Your call." He told her, fully aware she could hear him through the window.

She narrowed her gaze and slowly rolled the window down. "What seems to be the problem _officer_?" She exaggerated his title as she rolled her eyes at his obviously puffed out chest.

"No problem actually, other than the fact that you seem to be avoiding me. This seemed like the easiest way to get your attention." He replied blithely as he reached in, flicked the keys and cut the engine.

Her face dropped. She hadn't been pulled over because of a traffic violation. She'd been pulled over because Paul wanted to talk.

"That's mature Paul. I'm not avoiding you. I've just been busy. There's a lot to wrap my head around, I needed a little space to do that. Obviously you don't understand that, or you wouldn't have pulled me over. Now, if you'll excuse me…" She trailed off as she reached forward to turn the key.

Paul was quicker though. He snatched the keys from the ignition and took a few steps back.

He lifted them above his head and hurled them overhand into the forest. He met her wide eyed stare with a defiant one of his own.

"I'll scent them out when we're done talking." He informed her pointedly as he wrenched her door open and wrapped a meaty hand around her upper arm to help her step down from the cab.

"I don't need the keys. I can just walk." She sniped back, doing her best not to stare at the sinewy Chief in front of her. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and it made him look impossibly thick. The cool metal of the truck was cutting into her back, though she barely felt it, the heat radiating off Paul was doing a solid job of keeping her in a toasty, earth scented haze.

Wordlessly, he reached to the back of his belt and pulled a snap open. A moment later, he was dangling a pair of handcuffs in front of her face.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way…" He shot back, his tone low and cocky.

Her eyes glazed slightly at the appearance of the silver grey bracelets hanging from his pointer finger. Before she could stop herself, her mind flitted off to a hot little place where she was cuffed to a pole and a very attractive, muscular Quileute was claiming her for himself. She did her best to hide the shudder that skittered down her spine.

He scented her arousal almost instantly. He blew out a quick breath before he sucked in another nose full. She intoxicated him, drove his once dormant wolf to and up the wall. In that instant, he wanted nothing more than to bury his nose between those creamy white thighs and lap up all her juices.

As much as he wanted to act on his instinct, he held back and maintained his control. Now was not the time to lose it.

So instead, he cocked his head to the side and lifted an eyebrow.

"Really? Maybe instead of the hard way, we should do it the fun way…" He murmured under his breath as he took a predatory step forward.

She cursed him under her breath. She wasn't going anywhere fast, thanks to the combination of speed and strength smoldering in front of her, especially now that he knew she was 'excited' by the prospect of feeling the cool metal against her skin.

"You'd better knock it off before I tell Charlie his replacement is pulling me over just to hit on me." She warned him.

He barked out a laugh. "Look Swan. I'm sorry if my actions were a little… off base or if it wasn't what you expected… I'm just… I'm not so great with words so it was the only thing I could think of to make you see what I wanted… I guess you could say that was me throwing my hat in the ring."

She raised her eyebrows. "No, I mean, I got that part. I guess it just sort of took me off guard. I didn't think you had any real interest in me." She explained, her face a little flushed.

"I asked you out, Swan. I flirted with you. I touched you…. You didn't think that was me showing interest? I mean, I know I'm not great with words but I really thought my actions drove the message home…" He trailed off, clearly puzzled by her lack of understanding.

"To be fair, you behave like that with most women. You're a pretty flirtatious person… You could see how I wouldn't take it very seriously. I guess I didn't really figure I was any different." She pointed out.

"Swan, you're crazy, you know that? I've been interested since you got back. Hell, I was interested before then. When your dad mentioned you were moving back here… I was… Damnit Swan, I hate that you make me feel like such a douchy teenager… I was excited, OK? I was excited. I know I never spent time with you when you lived here before, like Embry did… But I liked you. You hit me… Not gonna lie, that was kinda hot… You had spunk, you were hot, and you turned down Jacob Black… You were a girl I had to know. But then you were gone. And you stayed gone for 5 years. Then your dad calls me up, asks me over, tells me about his illness and that you're coming home to be with him. So I figured it was time for me to take a chance, make a move. So that's what this has all been… Me trying to tell you that I'm interested. Like I said, I'm shit with words… I've always been more of an action person."

He didn't give her the opportunity to respond. Instead, he took the last step into her personal space, backed her against the metal side of her truck and proceeded to .senseless.

His lips slid slowly against hers, lazily almost. His lips manipulated hers as his tongue smoothed along the seam, coaxing, asking for entrance. She granted it, and met his probing tongue with her own.

His right hand pressed deeply into the lowest part of her lower back, his long fingers splayed possessively over the swell of her ass. His left hand burrowed into the hair at the nape of her neck and held her firmly against him.

Bella's mind was swimming in a swampy, lusty marsh. Her hands gripped his insanely muscular upper arms in an attempt to keep herself upright as he gently sunk his teeth into her bottom lip, a move that earned him a low, soft moan.

The fingers clenching into her backside dug in a little harder as he breathed deeply, her heavily scented arousal filled his nostrils. He felt the bite of her fingernails as they dug into his bicep.

It was with great effort that he pulled back, her breath panting out softly against his cheek as he lifted his lips from hers.

"Hope that was clear enough for you Swan. I want a shot. And I'm not gonna lie, I don't love the idea of sharing you with Call, but if that's what it's going to take, I'll live."

He didn't give her the chance to respond. Paul did a quick sweep of the area with his eyes and darted into the woods after her keys.

She climbed back into the truck just as Paul loped out of the forest. "Keys." He informed her unnecessarily as he dropped them into her lap through her open window.

Paul had made it all of three steps before he stopped and turned back. "Swan? For the record, I'm pretty sure Charlie would pick me every time."

She rolled her eyes and chuckled dryly at his bold proclamation. Paul was nothing if not ridiculously confident. "That's great. Bye Paul." She replied before rolling up her window. She eased the truck back on the road towards La Push as Paul pulled a quick u-turn and headed back to Forks.

The lunch rush was just tapering off when Bella jumped from the cab twenty minutes later.

A couple regulars greeted her as she strode through the front door. She threw a quick hello to the waitresses and the cook before ducking into the small office in back to sort through the week's paperwork.

Happy to find everything had been filled out and filed accordingly, her trip was going to be a quick one.

Bella grabbed the paperwork that needed to be signed, tucked it into her bag, clicked off the light and made her way to the front.

"Have a good day B!" Justin, their cook called from the back. She turned, waved and nearly collided with a firm body as she continued moving forward.

Sinewy, russet arms clamped tightly around her waist, steadying her on her feet.

"One of these days I'm not going to be there to catch you when you stumble and you're going to fall flat on your face."

She'd know that teasing tone anywhere.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Em. Really, so encouraging." She muttered as she brushed her stray hair back behind her ear.

"Aw Bell, you know I'm just kidding with you. I'm happy to catch you any time you feel like falling." He replied softly, his hand on her wrist now.

She smiled and arched a single eyebrow at him.

He broke into a grin and threw up his hands a moment later. "Ok, you got me. Horrible line. I'll never do it again." He promised.

"Good, let's leave the ridiculous lines to Paul. So what're you doing here?" She asked as he fell into step beside her.

Embry grabbed the door and opened for her as they stepped outside. "I was dropping off your cook's truck. Saw your hunk of junk and figured I'd say hello and see if you wanted to have dinner with me tomorrow night." He admitted as they came to a stop at her truck.

"Sure. Where?" She asked as she fumbled her keys from her pocket.

"My house."

For a brief second, she froze. Something about the simple suggestion had halted her motions. The notion of being completely and totally alone with Embry boiled her blood a bit. She wasn't sure if she should be excited or nervous.

He discreetly scented the air and just barely managed to conceal his grin. While it hadn't been his intention to get under her skin (at least, not yet), it was nice to know he had that affect on her.

"Stop it." She commanded, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Stop what?" He questioned innocently.

She narrowed her gaze at him and crossed her arms in front of her in mock anger.

"Stop scenting my emotions. It's not fair. I can't scent yours." She protested.

He chuckled deeply and his dark eyes focused on her. "That's part of the fun. I like keeping you on your toes. And maybe, if dinner goes well, I'll let you in on what's happening behind the scenes." He suggested quietly.

She found herself swallowing deeply at his blatant come on. She hadn't expected that from him. If his goal was to take her off guard, he'd succeeded…With flying colors, in fact.

"What time? And can I bring anything?" She asked, shifting her dark eyes to his.

"Seven. And just yourself." He answered.

He didn't give her the chance to respond. Instead, Embry ducked down and swiftly captured her lips with his own.

She whimpered at the sudden intrusion and he took the opportunity presented and pressed her firmly against the side of her rusted red truck.

Small hands fluttered briefly before settling on his shoulders, her slender fingers digging into his shoulders.

His hands gripped her hips firmly as his tongue gained entrance and dueled playfully with hers. She felt like he was literally kissing the life out of her. Minutes, hours, days… She wasn't sure how much time had passed since he'd claimed her mouth but it all passed in a muggy, damp haze.

Breathless, he broke the kiss. His breathing, much like her own, was heavy and uneven.

"Dinner. Tomorrow." He reminded her… Or maybe he was reminding himself…

"Tomorrow. Got it." She confirmed, her lusty brown eyes bored intensely into his own.

He reached up, chuffed her on the chin and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.

"I should get going. I have a shop to run… And a cold shower to take." He explained as he backed away, though the last part was muttered when he'd nearly turned all the way around. He likely hadn't meant for her to hear that but her cheeks colored at the suggestive solution.

She called her goodbye and scrambled into the ancient beast of a truck. She let the familiar roads between La Push and Forks guide her home as she replayed the events of the day.

Part of her felt wanton, wild, and maybe a little bit slutty… Kissing two men in one day… She hadn't ever been that kind of girl… Not until now. She tried, in vain, to feel some speck of remorse for her behavior, to no avail. Both men were consenting and fully aware of the presence of the other. Who was she to turn down what both men so clearly wanted?

She laughed at her ridiculously cocky thoughts. _Don't ever recall feeling this confident… Not sure yet if it's a good thing or a bad thing!_

Fortunately for her, she didn't have too much time to dwell over it. Between work and Charlie, the next evening was upon her before she knew it.

At 6:30 the following evening, she stepped into the living room to grab her purse. "What're the plans for tonight?" She asked as she pocketed her car keys.

"Meetin' Billy at Newton's. Check out some new fishing gear." He replied as he bit into the sandwich she'd put in front of him ten minutes earlier.

Bella nodded and pressed quick kiss to his cheek. "Have fun." She stuffed her arms into the cardigan looped over her arm and headed out.

She slipped the black sleeves over her dark blue blouse as she glanced towards the sunset streaked sky. It was nice to have a dry evening every now and again.

The trunk quietly rumbled down the comfortably familiar roads to La Push, the radio providing pleasant background noise on her brief drive.

Bella followed the directions Embry had texted her earlier and soon found herself pulling up in front of a small but tidy house.

She'd no sooner pushed the door open when he'd thrown the door and stepped out onto the small porch.

He wrapped her in a quick hug before he guided her inside.

Dinner was simple but filling. He threw together a pesto pasta with a loaf of French bread and salad. They chatted easily through dinner, reminiscing about the past, sharing stories of their most recent memories.

They cleaned up together, after Bella insisted on helping.

"You're not acting like much of a date, you know." Embry chided teasingly.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She questioned as she flicked soapy water at him.

He took hold of the hand doing the flicking and pinned it to the counter. "It means, I'm the man. I asked you out. Can you at least let me attempt to be a gentleman?" He questioned, his dark, brooding eyes pleaded with her.

She kept her eyes trained on him as she slowly reached with her other hand towards the water.

A quick flick of his eyes and her other wrist was pinned to the counter. He shook his head, his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. "When will you learn? I may not be phasing anymore, but there are plenty of parts of me that are still inherently _wolf_."

She quirked a curious eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What parts would those be?" She rasped out, her eyes darkening ever so slightly.

She saw the twitch of his nose and the smirk that stretched across his face.

"You're such a cheater." She murmured as he stepped closer, now fully inhabiting her personal space.

"Just using my tribe given abilities." He shot back as he leaned closer, ghosting his nose along her hairline. "You really do smell fantastic…"

She shivered under his soft ministrations, now registering the small circles his thumbs were tracing on her wrists.

"I'm not just talking about your, uh… 'excitement'… I'm talking about you in general… Enhanced smell is usually considered a blessing and a curse… In this case, I'll take it, happily." He breathed into her ear.

She opened her mouth to reply but he saw an opportunity and he took it. He leant down to her height and smoothly covered her mouth with his own.

His lips burned deliciously against hers as he seamlessly slipped his tongue into her already open mouth.

She felt her wrists free as his hands released them to wind around her, effectively crushing her small frame to his larger one. One of his meaty hands wound its way through her chocolate locks and planted firmly on her neck.

The other wandered down her spine, sending small sparks through her nerves. He stopped at her lower back and slid to her hip, his long fingers found a small exposed patch of skin and smoothed a thumb pad along the strip of skin.

She breathed out a soft moan and wrapped her slender fingers around his shoulders, pressing herself against him.

He stuttered out a husky groan at the feel of her lithe body pressing intimately against his.

Embry tore his lips from hers briefly, only to rain kisses across her jaw, trailing his lips up to her ear lobe.

She felt his lips close around the soft lobe and gasped when he lightly sunk his teeth into the soft flesh.

Breathlessly, he pulled back. His russet cheeks were tinged a deeper brown and his breath was coming in short bursts that fluttered softly against her skin.

Bella panted with him for a moment. She offered him a soft smile when he pulled his head back and met her gaze.

"Why don't we grab a quick walk? Maybe get a little fresh air." He suggested softly.

That sounded like an excellent idea to her.

His hand was extended warmly towards her. She didn't hesitate to slip her hand into his.

He led them out the door and they meandered down to the beach, the silence a warm, comfortable blanket, settled over them.

As they strode the length of the beach, Embry pointed out a few constellations, the sky brightly visible that particular night.

He was in the middle of explaining a set of stars when another set of voices interrupted them.

She glanced down the beach and her breath caught in her throat. It was Jake and Libby. She was splashing her little feet in the water and squealing.

Jake was chasing her, tickling her sides, ruffling her hair.

Embry felt her tense beside him. He knew through the tribal grapevine that she and Jake had a run-in when she was out with Paul, but she hadn't made mention of it so he hadn't brought it up. Now he found himself wishing he had.

Bella desperately wanted to fall back, turn for Embry's house and run. But that wasn't possible, especially since Libby had spotted them and was running at fast her little feet would take her, screeching out "Uncle Emby!"

Embry released her hand and scooped up the young girl. He swung her around, her giggles pierced the air.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, little one! Where have you been hiding!" He asked the little girl. She babbled an unrecognizable response and pressed her hands to his face.

Bella snuck a glance towards the direction the child had run from and groaned. Jake was making his way over to them.

"Hey Em. Hi Bella." Jake greeted, his voice a bit strained.

"What's up man?" Embry returned. Bella opted to nod and turned her gaze to the dark water in front of them.

"How's life Bella? I heard you were working for Sue now? That's great. She says you're working from home so you can be with you dad. How's he been?" Jake asked. It was obvious he was trying to make a real effort, and it did strike a chord in her heart but she wasn't… She couldn't… She wasn't there… Not yet.

"He's… Um, he's fine. Thanks for asking. But I'm sure Billy could tell you, he's over there a lot now." Bella muttered out, only making eye contact once during her response.

An awkward silence fell over the small group and Embry coughed uncomfortably. He didn't quite know how to feel about the current situation. Jake was his best friend, Sydney was his cousin… But what Jake had done to Bella… It all made for a complicated, messy ordeal.

His inner monologue was interrupted by a shrill cell phone. "Oh, that's me. Sorry." Bella apologized as she stepped away to take the call.

"You and Bella huh? That's new… Word on the rez was that she was seeing Paul." Jake commented, carefully eying his friend.

Embry's eyes fell to Libby, who was now happily drawing designs in the sand with a stick.

"Jake, man… C'mon… Don't do this. You know it's none of your business who she dates." Embry reminded him.

"Dude, I just thought you should know you weren't the only one… She's playing you, dude. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Embry raised his eyebrows. "You really believe that?" He questioned, daring his best friend to challenge him.

"Just stating the facts." Jake shot back.

"Dude. I know she's seeing Paul. She's kind of seeing both of us. She's been honest about her feelings toward him and me since the very beginning. So, like I said earlier, mind your own business. Stop trying to stir up shit, Jake." Embry bristled, clearly pissed now, as he usually made it a point never to curse around Libby.

Bella took that moment to step back to the conversation. Embry noticed the change in her demeanor almost instantly.

"I gotta go. That was Paul. Charlie got lost on the way home from Newton's, he couldn't find his way back to the house. Paul picked him up. He's asking for me… I'm sorry Em, but I have to go." Bella explained, keeping her eyes on Embry the entire time.

"No, Bella. Don't apologize. I totally understand. That's terrible. I can go along if you'd like, no problem." Embry offered.

She smiled gratefully at his offer but shook her head. "Paul says he's a bit disoriented. Probably best if it's just me. Thanks though. I'm gonna head out." She told him.

He took a step to follow her, obviously intending on walking her the short distance back but she stopped him. "It's ok. Stay. I know my way back. You stay, play with Libby." She suggested.

Before he could protest, she pressed her lips to his cheek and headed back down the beach at a fairly quick clip, not having spoken one word to Jake.

Jake opened his mouth to make a comment but Embry stopped him with a look. "No. I don't want to hear it. She's leaving because her father forgot how to get home from Newton's. Have some respect." Embry snarled before he headed off in the opposite direction.

Bella pulled up next to Paul's cruiser twenty minutes later. She'd pushed the red beast to top speed the entire way home.

Paul met her at the front door. He placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "He's a bit more lucid now but he wants to see you." He told her.

She nodded her understanding. "Thanks Paul… It really means a lot that you were there to help him. I can't… I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you've done for him." She whispered, resting her hand briefly on his chest before moving past him to see her father.

"Bella?" Charlie called from the living room.

"Hi dad. How are you?" She asked as she kneeled down next to his recliner.

"I'm fine. Just got a little turned around on the way home from the grocery store." He explained faintly.

Bella covered his hand with her own and took a steadying breath. "Dad, you weren't at the grocery store. You were at Newton's, with Billy. Remember?" She softly corrected.

He turned his murky, confused gaze to his daughter. "No, I was at the store. We needed milk." He protested.

Bella felt his presence before he spoke up. "It's alright Charlie. Maybe that's where you meant to head after you left Newton's." Paul suggested as he crouched next to Bella.

Charlie appeared to mull that over before nodding uncertainly. "That's probably it…. Bella? I'm tired. I'd like to go to bed now."

She nodded wordlessly and walked with him up to his room.

Paul was sitting at the kitchen table when she came back down.

She plopped into the chair next to him and dropped her head to her hands.

"I'm such a bad daughter. I should have been here." She muttered, swiping an errant tear.

"You aren't a bad daughter. You're human, you're allowed to have a social life Swan." He reminded her, resting his hand between her shoulder blades.

"Then why do I feel like a selfish teenager?" She snorted out.

He chuckled. "Just who you are Swan. Where were you anyway?" He asked innocently.

Bella's face flamed at his question. "Date. With Embry." She mumbled.

She heard the heavy sigh a moment later. "Sorry I interrupted… Well, I mean, I'm not so much sorry for _that_ I interrupted, more for _why_ I interrupted." He mused aloud.

"Real nice, Paul." She shot back as she lifted her head from her hands.

For his part, he just shrugged. "You know I don't like it. I made that feeling pretty obvious." He reminded her.

"I know Paul. I don't relish participating in this strange little triangle either. I know I'm going to have to pick…" She replied softly, staring off into the distance.

He flicked her wrist to get her attention. "Well, then I guess I need to prove my worthiness. I want a date. Saturday night."

She smiled. "Saturday sounds great."

"Sleep well Swan." He told her as he stood to leave. He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and was gone before she could process his intimate gesture.

A moment later, she shook her head briefly to clear out of her reverie and pulled her phone from her pocket.

**Bella: Got home Ok. Charlie's still a little off, but I got him settled in bed. **

**Embry: I'm glad everything's alright and that Paul was able to help out.**

**Bella: I feel terrible for cutting out date short.**

**Embry: You can make it up to me Saturday afternoon. It's supposed to be beautiful. We can hit the beach.**

She hesitated. That was the same day as her date with Paul. Having two dates in one day felt a bit… inappropriate. But she'd bailed on Embry, and she didn't want to tell him that Paul helping out had turned into Paul asking for a date…

But canceling on Paul didn't feel right either. He'd gone above and beyond for her. He'd shown her the kind of man he was and she wanted to see more of that man. Canceling their date wouldn't help that.

_Guess I need to be careful. I suppose as long as I keep an eye on the time, it'll be OK. I don't love the idea but I guess I'll make it work._

**Bella: Be there at 11?**

**Embry: Works for me. I'll see you then, honey. Have a good night.**

The remainder of the week passed without incident. Bella split her time working and worrying about Charlie. It was obvious the drugs the doctor put him on had stopped working. It was time to consider other options.

After a couple of days of digging, she turned up a new study accepting applicants in Northern Seattle. It was for a new drug, though this one was being used in conjunction with a new surgical procedure.

She wasted no time. Bella quickly printed off all the necessary forms and paperwork, as well as some information for Charlie.

"So what do you think?" She asked him after she explained the ins and outs of the new drug protocol and corresponding procedure.

"I think it's worth a shot." He told her with no hesitation.

After that, she ran with it. She got all the paperwork filled out and sent in, along with copies of all his medical records. If they accepted him into the program he'd travel to Seattle for a round of preliminary testing before they began treatment.

Saturday morning dawned early for Bella. Her plate had been more than full the last few days but she was proud of what she'd accomplished. She was confident Charlie was going to get into the new program and she'd managed to finally get Sue transferred over to some new software Bella had recommended awhile back. It had been a productive week.

Her truck rumbled to a stop in front of Embry's house at precisely eleven. She slid from the cab and grabbed the picnic lunch she'd packed from the bed before heading up the stairs.

Two quick knocks later and she was staring up into Embry's chocolate gaze. "Hey honey. C'mon in." He greeted her as he stepped back from the door.

She moved past him and set the basket on the table.

Bella turned to face the tall Quileute only to discover he'd already moved into her personal space.

A large hand curled around her waist while another slid into her hair. His thumb came around and wrapped under her jaw and tilted her head upwards ever so slightly. He grinned softly before leaning down and claiming her lips with his.

His mouth was soft and probed gently at hers for entrance which she happily gave. His tongue swept into her mouth and slid lazily against hers.

A small moan of pure pleasure escaped her a few moments later as she clutched her fingers into his shoulders.

Reluctantly, he pulled back. He had to rein himself in before he attempted to take her on the couch.

"Well that's one way to say hello." She muttered as she released him.

He chuckled and repositioned his hands so that one arm draped haphazardly over her shoulders. "What's this?" He asked, his eyes on the large basket.

"Lunch. A picnic. I thought we could swim for awhile, then have lunch." She suggested.

"Sounds perfect. Let me just grab a couple towels and my phone." He squeezed her shoulder before he darted off to grab the necessary items.

Twenty minutes later she was waist deep in the water. It was a bit on the cool side but refreshing nonetheless. Embry had dove in a few minutes before her and was a bit further out.

She turned her face towards the sky and let the warmth of the sun was over her, bathing in its warm glow.

A hand snagged her ankle and before she could register anything further, she was underwater, gripped in Embry's arms.

They broke the surface a few moments later. "You're such a kid!" She sputtered, drawing a hand across her face to mop up the excess moisture.

As if to prove her point, he flicked more water her direction.

She, of course, retaliated in kind. They called their splash war a draw when it became obvious that Embry's considerable height and speed couldn't compare to, in his words, "the coordination of a puny human."

Bella had stomped as effectively as possible out of the water and to the blanket, leaving Embry to stare in shock.

It was only when he sat down and she finally broke down into giggles that he realized she'd been kidding.

A glance at her phone reminded her of the time. It was approached two. "Wanna head in? Watch a movie before you head back?"

She did a quick calculation in her head before responding. They'd be doing with a movie by 4 at the latest, which would put her back in Forks by no later than 5. That would give her plenty of time to get ready for her 7 pm date with Paul.

"Sure, sounds good." She agreed as she stood and started quickly gathering their trash.

Embry popped in Role Models and sank onto the couch next to Bella. He wrapped a muscled arm around her as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

They were asleep before they were halfway through the movie.

Bella groaned and blinked sleepily. The TV was looping the DVD title menu and Embry was conked out next to her.

She shook her head slightly and tried to clear her sleep addled brain. A moment later, she froze.

_SHIT! What time is it!_

She grappled for her phone. She'd set it on the side table when she sat down. She pushed the side button and the screen lit up.

7:28. SHIT.

Her date with Paul was supposed to start 28 minutes earlier. She had no missed calls or texts from him, which was more certainly NOT a good sign.

She scrambled from her position and shoved her feet into her shoes.

"What's the rush?" Embry's scratchy, sleep filled voice interrupted her mad dash.

"We fell asleep! It's 7:30!" She retorted as she raked through her purse for the car keys.

Embry furrowed his brow at her frantic movements. "Ok…. What exactly is the problem? Are you worried about Charlie? You mentioned Billy was over there… It's not like you have a curfew, Bella." He reminded her as he rose to his feet.

She turned her guilt filled brown eyes to him and didn't say anything. When she chose not to respond, he continued.

"So since this obviously isn't about Charlie…. What's going on?" He questioned, drawing his arms over his chest.

She sighed and looked away. "I had plans with Paul tonight. We were supposed to meet at 7." She confessed miserably.

"So you made plans with both of us… On the same day. Really Bella? Really? That sounded like a good idea to you?" He pressed, upset and hurt by her admission.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and flinched at his response. "I'm sorry. It was just… It was bad timing. I didn't want to cancel on either of you. I should have told you what was going on. I didn't think it would be a big deal… Obviously I was wrong…" She trailed off, having a difficult time putting her feelings into words.

He sighed heavily. "Maybe Jake was right…" He muttered under his breath.

It was loud enough that she heard.

"What was he right about Embry?" Was her soft request.

"He told me he thought you might be playing me." Embry replied bluntly, holding her gaze with his own.

She couldn't hold his gaze any longer. She cast her eyes to the window and nodded silently.

"I'm… I'm so sorry I made the mistake of double booking myself and not telling you about it. And I guess maybe I was sort of hoping you would've looked past Jake's opinion, given my history with him, but I get it… You're friends first. Your loyalty is with him. I'm sorry for wasting your time." She grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

The wave of guilt crashed into him almost immediately. Throwing Jake in her face was absolutely the last thing he should have done, regardless of her mistake. He had to set this right. Losing her over this… It wasn't an option.

She spent the entire ride back to Forks trying to call Paul. It went to voicemail each time.

The truck rolled to a stop in front of Paul's house. She slammed the door and hurried up the steps. The small house was dark and locked. He was not there.

Her gaze swung towards her house. She could see Charlie and Billy sitting in the living room watching TV. It didn't appear that she was needed.

She clambered back up into the cab of her truck and swung her truck towards the main drag of Forks. She needed to at least attempt to find him.

That attempt was much easier than she'd anticipated. His bike was parked front and center and Miller's.

She pulled in and cut the engine. A small wave of fear and unease washed over her. This was not going to be pretty.

The bar was crowded but she found him pretty easily. He was perched at the bar, beer in hand, blonde on his right.

No hesitation left in her, she marched to his side and slid into the stool to his left.

"You stood me up Bella." He informed her unnecessarily.

She winced. Rarely did he use her name, usually when he was mad. "I know I did. I'm sorry. I made a huge mistake. I was with-" She started to explain.

"Embry. I know. Charlie told me when I went looking for you. He told me you'd gone down to La Push to spend the day with Embry." Paul cut off her explanation. He took a long pull from his beer and quietly asked the blonde to take a hike.

"I double booked myself. I'm sorry. It was a shitty thing to do. You deserved better than that. I was wrong. I got caught in a moment and I didn't handle it right. I'm here to ask for a chance." She replied softly. Her voice was low and she was clearly upset. This had been the _last_ thing she'd wanted to do.

Her eyes never left his face. But he never turned to face her. Instead, he kept his eyes trained on the TV over the bar and his hands wrapped around the beer in front of him. Obviously he was done talking.

Finally, after sitting there feeling like an idiot for five minutes, she stood. "Look, I know I messed up. This is me owning that, apologizing for it. But it's not as if you're without fault in life. But if you want out, and this is the excuse you want to use, I won't stop you."

Her final piece said, she turned on her heel and made her way out of the busy bar.

She was just outside the door when she caught sight of Embry leaning over her truck. He was tucking a note into the crease of the windshield wiper.

Embry must've caught her scent or felt her presence because he turned just as she started to descend the steps.

He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off. Not by Bella, though.

It was Paul who stopped him in his tracks.

"What're you doing here Call? Haven't you seen her enough today?" He snarled, his heavy footsteps stopping once they reached her side.

"All I was doing was coming to apologize. It's not my intention to worm into your time with her, though for the record, it looked like she was leaving." Embry snarked back.

"I don't really give a shit why you're here. Obviously you fucked up if you're here to apologize. So why don't you go think about what you did in private and leave us alone?" Paul suggested, taking a step towards his former pack mate.

"Stop. Seriously, both of you just stop. I realize this whole mess is totally my fault. And for that, I will again apologize. This… God… This is not why I moved back here. I moved back because of Charlie. And I feel like I've lost sight of that. I cannot deal with this and deal with him... It's… It's too much. I'm barely hanging on as it is… This is the absolute last thing I need and want… So when you guys decide to grow up, come find me."

She left them standing in the parking lot, surrounded by her fading dust.

A/N: Sorry that took so long! It's been a CRAZY week! I'm glad you're all still sticking by me! Thanks for the wonderful thoughts, I'm glad you're all interested!

ALSO: We might be venturing up to an M rating soon….


	7. Measure For Measure

A/N: Wow guys! 100 reviews for 6 chapters? You are all fabulous people and I sincerely hope you love the HELL out of this chapter.

A/N2: Same poll is still up… I'm going to let it stay up til I post the chapter after this one…. Then I'll see what I can do.

ALSO: While imprinting is acknowledged, for the time being, neither of them will imprint on Bella. That might change but as of right now, it's not in the cards. Also, neither of them will imprint on anyone else.

Run Right Into You

Chapter 7: Measure for Measure

"Bella! Delivery for you!" Charlie called down into her basement office.

Bella pulled her eyes from the spreadsheet on her laptop and pushed back from her desk, wondering what was waiting for her this late in the day.

Her feet pounded silently up the steps. She padded into the kitchen, curious as to what would be waiting for her. There, in the middle of the table, sat a vase full of brightly colored tulips. A pale blue envelope stood above the vibrant blooms in a tall, plastic claw stick.

Tentatively, she slipped the card from the plastic holder and slid her thumb under the flap, freeing it from the glue. A periwinkle blue card slid from the envelope and into her hand.

_**Bella,**_

_**I know you aren't a big fan of romantic, sappy gestures but I wasn't able to resist. B, we all make mistakes… I'd like a chance to prove I've learned something from mine.**_

_**Thinking of you,**_

_**Embry**_

She grinned at his note. Sweet, honest and simple… Three of the qualities she loved most about him.

The fragrant scent wafted into her nose as she leaned closer to get a better whiff.

Deciding she wanted them in her office, she scooped them up, carried them downstairs and plopped them on the corner of her desk.

Her phone was sitting next to her keyboard. She grabbed it and quickly pulled up a new text message.

**Bella: Em, the flowers are beautiful. Thank you for them and for such a thoughtful note. I can't say that my behavior warranted them.**

**Embry: People make mistakes Bell. Just trying to fix mine.**

**Bella: All the same, thank you. You didn't need to do that.**

**Embry: You just wait, Bella Swan… The things I have planned for you.**

**Bella: Not sure if I like the sound of that….**

**Embry: Have faith Bella. I have something to prove.**

**Bella: And what would that be?**

**Embry: That is for me to know and you to find out.**

She rolled her eyes at his cheeky response and slid the phone back onto the desk, re-focusing on her work.

Three days later she found out exactly what he meant when he told her he had something to prove.

Bella had just called her goodbyes to the diner staff and wrenched open the door to her truck. Paula Deen's face smiled up at her from the cover of her newest cookbook, which was resting on the driver's seat, along with a hastily penned note.

_B,_

_You mentioned you wanted her newest cookbook. I saw it today and thought of you._

_I've thoughtfully flagged all the recipes I think I would enjoy._

_Yours, (Hopefully)_

_Em_

A quick glance up the road proved she was, in fact, alone. She hadn't been inside for very long, but apparently it had been long enough for him to sneak over, stuff the book in her truck and make a run for it.

The spine of the book cracked and she slid her fingers between the pages and opened it. She laughed out loud when she realized he'd marked every page.

The following day, Embry found a pan of country fried steak sitting on his front porch, covered and adorned with a note of its own.

_Em,_

_Every page! Really? I'm beginning to think you might've had ulterior motives…_

_Enjoy._

_B._

Paul stepped out of his house early Saturday morning. He was due to start his shift at 9 am. He wanted to get his run in before he started his work day. He wasn't phasing anymore but he'd never quite been able to give up the feeling that a long, hard run afforded him.

He bounded down the three steps to his walkway and stopped cold when his eyes came to rest on the prone figure of his former pack mate.

Embry's legs were sticking out from underneath the beast that only Bella could love. He'd arrived early, before 6, with the intention of changing her oil and performing some general maintenance. He'd been working for awhile when someone kicked his left boot, hard.

He cursed and rolled the creeper out from underneath the truck. He was hardly surprised to find Paul standing over him, staring intensely, as only Paul could.

"What're you doing?" Paul asked unnecessarily.

Embry rolled his eyes. "You're not stupid. You know what I'm doing." He tossed a tool into the box next to the truck and pawed around for another one.

Paul snorted. "Yes, I do. I'm asking you WHY you're doing it." He clarified as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's none of your business, Lahote. I'm not here for you, I'm here for her. So why don't you move on and go do your run?"

Paul stared as Embry dug in his heels and pushed himself back under the truck, the creeper whined in protest as Embry disappeared under the car.

Truth be told, he knew exactly Embry was doing. He'd seen the flower delivery van earlier in the week. And Charlie had mentioned Embry had given Bella a new cookbook.

It was pretty obvious what was going on. Embry was attempting to woo Bella.

Paul was more than capable of competing on most playing fields… But wooing? That was a new one. Sure, he could flirt, charm, sweet talk… Hell, he'd practically written the book on how to get exactly what he wanted from a woman, when he wanted it.

But, when it came to actually cultivating something of a relationship, as much as he hated to admit it, he was out of his league. And that… That did not sit well with Paul Lahote.

He clicked on his iPod and took off down the sidewalk, deep in thought. Embry had messed up, that much was obvious. But what had he done?

Whatever it was, he was going to get to the bottom of it. And he was going to figure out how to make her see that he could make an effort too.

_Three Days Later_

Bella's phone beeped as she climbed into her truck. She'd just finished dropping off some paperwork for Sue at the clinic and was getting ready to head back to Forks.

**Embry: A little birdie told me you were on the rez today. Can you stop by my shop?**

**Bella: Sure. How'd you know I was visiting?**

**Embry: I have my sources. You remember how to get here?**

**Bella: Yup. See you in a few.**

Her truck rumbled to a stop in front of his small garage a few minutes later. It was after three, he'd be shutting down soon. She strode towards the garage, noting that he only had one car in the bay. He obviously wasn't too busy since he'd asked her to come by, but she hated the idea of bugging him while he was working.

"Em?" She called out as she stepped into the slightly darkened garage.

"Hang on!" He called out from the other side of the lone car in the stop. He wheeled the creeper out from under the car and pushed to his feet.

She swallowed hard when he rose to her line of sight. His russet skin was slick with a light sheen of sweat. There were grease stains dotting his forearms and face. He ran a hand through his hair and he moved around the car to greet her.

Bella swallowed deeply as he strode to her. His jeans and boots were caked in grease and dirt, while his once white shirt was speckled with what looked like oil and rust stains.

Standing in front of her was a prime cut of 100% man. Her fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and touch him.

"Hey, sorry. I'm a bit of a mess. Just finishing up Old Quil's Buick. Are you especially busy or can you hang for a few?"

His words floated in a fog above her head as she tried her hardest to pull her focus back to his statement and off his ridiculously muscled forearms.

The tall Quileute quirked his lips up into a knowing smirk. He knew _exactly_ what she was staring at. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't pleased as shit about it too.

Before she could register what was happening, Embry reached out and ran one long, grease caked finger down her cheek.

She jerked back to reality with a small jolt. "Did you just rub grease on my face?" She questioned, her own hand venturing up to her cheek.

"You zoned out on me. I called your name twice. But you were staring… At me. Which, don't get me wrong, is very flattering, but I didn't exactly invite you here to leer at me." He explained with a knowing grin.

A vibrant shade of red colored her cheeks at his blatant response.

"Sorry Em. I didn't mean to embarrass you, I promise. I was just a little distracted…" She fumbled out, clearly humiliated at being caught.

He reached over to his work bench and snagged a paper towel out of a box. He swiftly moved into her personal space and gingerly wiped the grime from her face. "Don't worry about it. I like when you stare at me like I'm the only thing you can see… That's kind of the point. But it's not why I asked you to come by." He confessed as he tossed the used towel into the trash.

She raised her eyebrows expectantly and waited.

A few moments later he was fumbling through a drawer, seemingly searching for something. His fingers closed around a slim leather pouch. He smiled triumphantly. He extracted the pouch and turned back to her.

Her gaze fell to the small pouch in his hand. It was Embry's turn to blush awkwardly. "Listen… I don't… I don't want you to read too much into this. It doesn't have to mean anything more than what you want it to mean." He told her before he handed her the small drawstring bag.

She nodded wordlessly and gently tugged the bag open. The contents of the bag spilled into her hand a few seconds later.

It was a tightly braided leather bracelet. A different colored bead was attached to the end of each braid tail. She wasn't especially familiar with Quileute jewelry and the associated meanings but she was familiar with this kind of bracelet. It was made by a man for the woman he believed to be his soul mate. It was given to signify to the woman that the man had found her, and wanted to claim her for his own.

She swallowed heavily and flicked her heavy gaze to his. "I know you know what this is. I know Billy and Jake taught you a lot. And like I said before, I don't want you to freak out or read too much into this. I just… Look, I never intended to make your life more difficult, you have to know that... If anything, it was the opposite. I knew why you were here and after seeing you that first time, I just… God, I thought maybe I could help? I wanted to be the easy, simple part of your life. Not the part that makes you wish you'd never agreed to go out with me. So this is my way of showing that. This is what I believe, and what I feel. This was not given with the intention to pressure you into anything. To me, the meaning is simple. I want you. I want you for myself and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to prove that." He finished breathlessly, trying to hold back any further emotions, thoroughly afraid she might run off like a scared deer at any given moment.

"It's beautiful." She breathed as he tied the bracelet to her wrist. The leather was smooth and soft against her porcelain skin.

"So you'll accept it?" He checked.

"I'll accept it for what it is. A meaningful gift from a man with true, honest intentions." She promised softly.

A grin split his cheeks. "Music to my ears." He muttered. He tucked a grease stained finger under her chin and drew her face upwards. His lips met hers halfway.

It had been too long since she'd felt his lips slide against hers. She clenched her slender fingers into his bicep as the hand that had been holding her cheek shifted backwards and wound itself into her dark locks. His tongue smoothed along the seam of her lips and she granted him passage with no hesitation. His tongue dueled with hers as his other hand dropped down and clutched tightly into her hip.

Cool metal pressed lightly into her back. In their haze, Embry must've guided them backwards and was now holding her firmly against the Buick he'd just been working on.

His leg shifted and situated itself between her thighs. He moved his lips from hers to her neck, taking a long, appreciative whiff of her strongly scented arousal. It was heady and intoxicating. He could drown in that fragrance.

She felt his teeth graze her earlobe just as he shifted his thigh and pressed upwards lightly.

He was rewarded with a gasp and a light shudder. "You have no idea how amazing you smell." He whispered in her ear, his breath fanning out across her heated skin.

A breathy chuckle escaped her throat. "Well, you're doing a pretty good job of showing how appreciative you are." She bit back.

The fingers pressed into her hip splayed out possessively and he pressed a long, firm kiss to her lips. His thigh brushed against her again. A gentle thrust of her hips was her response. "I'm sorry, I know I'm a little of out of control. I just… I'd really like to call you mine." He muttered as the hand that had previously made its home in her hair dropped to her ass. He didn't hesitate to grip and press himself against her, he wanted her to feel what she was capable of reducing him to.

She stuttered out his name at the intimate feeling of his manhood pressing into the overheated apex of her thighs. Bella pressed back against him, searching for a release that was just beyond her reach.

Embry released a frustrated sigh as he slowly separated himself from her. "Man… I really would love to continue this… You have _no idea_ how badly I want to… But there's no way we're doing this in my garage… At least not the first time." He muttered the last part as he attempted to pull himself together.

"I'll hold you to that." She threw over her shoulder as she sauntered out of the garage, a spring in her step.

_One Week Later_

Sunlight assaulted her eyelids and roused her from a deep sleep. She blinked blearily against the offensive rays. She stretched her arms over her head as she swung her feet over the side of the bed and sighed deeply. Sunday. She loved Sundays. It was the one day she'd always taken for herself. Today, she had no plans except to make breakfast for Charlie before Billy picked him up to go fishing.

She padded down the hall to Charlie's room to wake him up. After three knocks and standing outside the door, she pressed her fingers against the wooden door and peeked in. He wasn't in there.

Bella was down the stairs in a flash. She did a quick sweep of the house. Charlie was nowhere to be found. A cursory glance at the clock told her it was only 8:30. Billy wasn't due to pick Charlie up for another 2 hours. There was no way he'd come by _that_ early.

A hastily placed call to him confirmed her suspicions. He had just barely woken up himself when he picked up the phone. Billy attempted to calm her when she panicked after he told her he hadn't been there yet.

Bella didn't hear him. She slammed the phone down and ran for the door. The knob twisted effortlessly in her hand. Her blood ran cold. She'd locked the door last night.

Charlie had left. He was _gone._

She snagged a pair of jeans from the laundry room, her jacket and stuffed her feet into shoes. Before she realized where she was going, she tore across the street to Paul's house.

A furious knocking roused Paul from his semi-light sleep. He'd only gotten off shift a few hours before and he cursed his entire way to the door.

The anger melted away when he was met with Bella's wild and panicked face.

"He's gone Paul! He's just… He's GONE. I woke up and he was GONE! I already called Billy and he's not with him. His car is here but he's NOT. He's GONE!" She shrieked, her eyes crazed and unfocused.

"Fuck." He muttered as he yanked her into his house. He forced her onto the couch and hurried back to his room. He threw on his sweatpants, a t-shirt and grabbed his shoes and phone. He returned to the front room and grabbed his radio. He quickly called it in to the on duty officers.

"Hall? Remember what we discussed. If you or any of the other guys find him, don't approach him. Just stay with him until Bella and I get there, understood? He may not be in the best of places, and if he doesn't remember you, it might make it worse." Paul reminded the officer who'd responded to his radio call.

Hall confirmed his understanding and they clicked off. Paul grabbed his badge, gun, hat, sunglasses and keys.

Bella was still frozen on the couch. He moved to her side and sunk into the couch next to her. He pressed a comforting kiss to the top of her head. "I know freaking out is the easiest thing to do right now but I need you to pull it together. He's going to need you to be calm when we find him." Paul murmured into her ear softly. Paul's words seemed to cut through her haze and brought her back down. She nodded her understanding.

He stood, grabbed her hand and pulled her to feet. He locked her up and ushered her out the front door and to his truck.

He'd barely pulled open the driver's door when Embry's SUV pulled up in front of the house. Paul cursed under his breath and turned to face his competition.

"I'm not here to cause problems. Billy sent me to help. He's got Jake and Sam scouring the rez, he told me I'd be of better use here in town. Just tell me what you need me to do."

Paul glared for a moment, wanting nothing more than to tell him to fuck off, but he held his tongue because they needed help and he knew Bella wouldn't appreciate it.

Bella's hand closed over Paul's arm briefly. He glanced down at her arm and caught sight of a tribal bracelet tied around her wrist. He raised his eyebrows at the woven jewelry, wondering briefly if she knew the significance of the bracelet. It was fairly easy to figure out where it came from, it wasn't as if it was something she could've commissioned or bought in the store. Now wasn't the time to ask her about it though.

She shifted across the seat and poked her head out the driver's side. "Thanks for coming up Embry, it means a lot." She murmured, her eyes still rimmed in red from her most recent bout of crying.

"We're heading down the 101 to look for him. If you want, head north of town. Call us if you find him." Paul instructed.

Thankfully, Embry didn't argue. This was Paul's territory now, literally and figuratively. He knew better than to trounce around in someone else's backyard. He nodded his agreement and slipped back into his vehicle.

Paul turned them towards the 101 and maneuvered them down the tree lined road. He called into his officers for updates but they hadn't found any sign of Charlie thus far.

He glanced at the clock. They'd been driving the area for almost an hour with nothing. It was time to try another tactic.

With no further thought, he pulled the truck over, took a quick glance around the area and slipped from the truck. Bella watched as he turned his nose to the wind and took a deep noseful of the breeze blowing through the trees.

It was best to let his nose lead the way so after he began to move north, she slipped from the passenger side and followed him.

He took an abrupt right and tromped into the forest. Charlie's scent was getting much stronger. They were close. Paul reached a hand backwards and clamped down on Bella's wrist just as she was about to take a header into a fallen log. She whispered her appreciation and let him interlock their fingers.

The sudden halt of his movements had her nearly crashing into his back. She caught herself just in time and managed to keep herself upright. She stepped to his side to see what had made him stop.

"Charlie." She breathed as her eyes came to rest on her father. He was standing a little more than 100 yards away, in a small clearing, turning in a slow circle. He was obviously confused and upset. He took a few steps in one direction, shook his head and turned back the other way.

Bella stepped around him and moved towards her father, only to feel a warm hand clamp down on her bicep. She turned her questioning gaze to Paul.

Paul knew it was better if Bella was the one to approach him but he wasn't entirely certain of Charlie's mental state and he didn't want to take the chance of the young woman getting hurt.

Bella seemed to understand his hesitancy. She took a step back in his direction. "He's my dad, Paul. I have to do this. I'll be fine." She pressed a reassuring hand to his chest.

He knew she was right. This was her father. She was here for him. This was what she had to do. He offered his nod of understanding and she stepped away and slowly approached her father.

"Dad?" She called tentatively as she carefully picked her way over the twigs and logs towards her father.

Charlie froze in his spot. He turned slowly to face his daughter. His face was the picture of confusion. "Isabella?" He questioned warily.

She offered him a small half smile. "Hey dad. What're you doing out here?" She asked softly.

His brow furrowed and his gaze turned to the trees in front of him. "I… I… It was late… I didn't… I was…" He fumbled for an explanation, each short sentence more confusing than the one before.

Paul kept his eyes on Bella as he quietly called into his officers that they'd found him. He also sent Embry a quick text and told him to call Billy and have him call off the search in La Push.

"Let's get you home, ok dad?" Bella suggested as she gently placed her hand on his arm.

Charlie flinched at her touch and yanked his arm back. Paul was at her side in an instant. "I'm OK Paul." She muttered, pressing her hand into his chest, silently requesting that he take a step back.

He reluctantly took her cue and stepped away, but not so far that he couldn't be at her side the moment things got sketchy.

"Dad? Why don't we head back to the main road? Paul's truck is there. We'll get you home, I'll make you lunch. Maybe we can have Billy over and you guys can watch the game?" She suggested, doing her very best to keep her tears at bay and push the quiver from her voice.

Charlie met her gaze and nodded. "That'll be fine I suppose." He agreed. She didn't reach for him again. It was obvious he wanted his space.

Paul took up the lead, Charlie a few steps behind and Bella behind him.

"Bells?" Charlie called out uncertainly.

"Yeah dad?" She replied softly.

"Where are we?" He asked, his voice full of question and confusion.

"We're in the woods off the 101, headed towards La Push." Paul supplied from the front.

Charlie didn't have a response for that.

Twenty minutes later Paul pulled up to the small white house and cut the engine. No sooner had the trio slid from the truck when Embry pulled up.

Bella acknowledged him with a wave before disappearing into the house with her father and Paul in tow.

Embry ambled up the steps and took a seat on the porch steps. He knew all he needed to do was wait, Bella would come to him.

He hadn't been waiting long when the door opened. One whiff of the air told him it wasn't Bella.

"Paul."

"Call."

Paul stepped forward and sunk onto the steps across from him. Silence engulfed the former pack mates. He squinted into the early afternoon sunlight before he turned his gaze to Embry.

"What'd you do?" He asked at last.

"What are you talking about?" Embry deflected smoothly.

"You know what I'm talking about… The flowers, the tune up… I saw the bracelet you gave her… I figure you must've fucked up… Just wondering what it is you did." Paul trailed off.

Embry maintained his silence for several seconds as he debated whether or not he was actually going to share with his former brother.

"It's none of your business. It doesn't matter. Because it's over. She's OK with me now. We're OK."

"Whatever you say man… But it was me she called when things got bad. When shit got heavy, I was the one she came to. And I didn't shower her in flowers and jewelry or anything like that. I didn't need to because she knows how I feel. She knows I'll be there… But hey man, congrats on being "ok" with her." Paul told him as he clapped a hand down on Embry's shoulder.

Embry was seething inside. For the first time since he'd stopped phasing, he felt his body begin to tremble. His fists clenched and his gaze narrowed dangerously. He knew what Paul was doing, he wasn't stupid. He just hated that it was _working._

"She came to you because it's your _job._ It's what you do. You're the chief of police. Who else would she call? Don't flatter yourself Paul. You're paid to keep the people of Forks safe. So congrats to _you_on doing your job." Embry snarled back.

Paul opened his mouth to snipe back but they were interrupted by the slamming of the screen door. Bella had joined them.

Both Quileute men turned to face the woman they'd just been arguing over. She offered them a small, weak smile. She was exhausted, taxed to her limit. It was written all over her face.

"Thank you both so much for being here. In my darkest moment since I've been back, you were both there. I can't tell you what that means to me, especially now. But for the moment, I think I'm going to spend the rest of my day with Charlie. I'll talk to you both soon."

She wrapped them both in quick hugs and bid her goodbyes to the tall Natives on her porch.

They stepped away and after briefly meeting each other's gaze, they went their separate ways.

_One Week Later_

Embry palmed his phone from his pocket and gazed down at the screen. Nothing. No texts, no calls. His phone had been silent for a solid week now. He'd given her some space, he tried to keep his calls and texts to a minimum but she'd frozen him out, and for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of. Their last interaction had been her thanking him for helping look for Charlie. He was completely and utterly clueless. He'd contemplated taking a trip to her house but something in him made him pause. Something about that didn't seem right. So he did the only thing that felt right, he kept his distance.

Paul however, had gone a different route. He'd been watching the house like a hawk, waiting for her to emerge. But she hadn't, at least not while he'd been home. He'd gone over and banged on the door a few times but it was only Charlie who answered and he had too much respect for the former chief to go around him when he said Bella didn't want any visitors.

It was that very same former chief at his door at that very moment. Three sharp raps and he'd come face to face with the man who'd held his job before him.

"Heya Paul. Mind if I come in for a minute?" Charlie questioned quietly, with a quick glance over his shoulder.

Paul nodded and stepped aside, allowing the older man to pass.

Charlie sank into the couch while Paul took the seat across from him.

"What's going on Charlie?" He asked as he leaned back in his recliner.

The older man leaned forward and dropped a letter onto the coffee table between them. "I'm here because of Bella. We… We got a letter last Monday… It was about the study up in Seattle. Bella applied me for it a few weeks back. She was so sure we'd get in… The letter was a rejection Paul. They rejected me. And well, Bells didn't take that too well… She's been a mess all week. I've tried… I've tried everything. And really, this mattered more to her than it did to me. I'm not stupid. I know the trial probably isn't going to be the answer but it mattered to Bella. And it's killing me that I didn't get in, for her sake." Charlie muttered. He was far from comfortable when it came to talking about his illness with anyone but this was more important. He couldn't do much for his daughter but he'd wanted to do this for her, this one thing.

Paul ran an uneasy hand through his hair. That certainly explained Bella's absence the last week. Charlie rose to his feet. "I just… I thought you should know Paul. She probably won't like that I came over here like this but well, I did what I thought was right." Charlie told him.

The younger man stood and walked Charlie to the door. "You did the right thing Charlie. I appreciate you telling me."

Paul watched and waited for his opportunity. She was still laying low but he now he knew why. He just needed a few moments, he wanted her to know he was on her side.

He tried. He tried when she came out to go to the grocery store. She'd brushed him off with a cursory "I'm fine."

He tried when she came back from a trip to La Push. She'd feigned a phone call and hurried inside.

She made her feelings clear. She didn't want to talk to him or anyone else.

And apparently "anyone else" included Embry. The mechanic had finally caved and driven by the day before only for Charlie to shake his head sadly and quietly close the door.

Paul stewed on the situation for a few days. He had no idea how much this study meant to her and he'd do anything to make it better.

He lifted his coffee cup and his gaze fell to a piece of white paper peeking out from beneath the most recent edition of Sports Illustrated.

Paul thumbed the white sheet from its hiding spot and flipped it open. It was the rejection letter. Charlie had left it behind when he'd visited.

The address to the facility was printed in the header of the form letter. Seattle was only a bit over three hours away….

_Hell, it's worth a shot._

He was on the road within a half hour, rejection letter in hand.

The clinic was certainly not expecting a 6'3 Quileute man to storm their door at 11 am that afternoon. They weren't expecting him to demand to see the head of the study. They weren't expecting him to plant himself in their lobby and loudly proclaim he wasn't leaving until he talked to the "goddamn doctor in charge". But that's what he did.

He waited until 4 pm. He flipped through every magazine in their office, re-read the letter until he could recite it from memory. Finally, a man in a white coat approached him.

"I'm Dr. Shepherd. My staff informed me that there was an irate man who refused to leave my office until he spoke to me personally." The man greeted with a wry grin.

Paul stood and smoothed a hand down his jeans before offering his hand to the shaggy haired doctor.

"Paul Lahote. I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me." Paul told the man as he led him back to his office.

Dr. Shepherd laughed. "Well Mr. Lahote, you didn't give me much of a chance. Have a seat. What can I do for you?" He questioned as he took a seat behind a large desk.

Paul calmly and quickly pled his case. He told him about what the former chief of police did for him, Charlie's most recent bout, the subsequent search and Charlie's reaction. He explained how much this study truly meant to both Bella and her father. The doctor listened quietly, posed the occasional question, and responded to Paul's when asked.

"These people must mean a lot to you for you to come all this way." Dr. Shepherd observed thoughtfully after Paul finished.

"Yes sir, they both mean a great deal to me." Paul answered succinctly.

"Well, I'll be honest with you Mr. Lahote. Mr. Swan was rejected from this study for a very specific reason, his Alzheimer's was not at the stage we required for him to be eligible. But your dedication to the situation, to these people, is admirable. And based on what you've just told me about his most recent episode, I think I need to reconsider my previous decision. I'll give it some serious thought." Dr. Shepherd promised him.

Paul smiled broadly and offered the man his hand. "That's all I can ask. Thank you for your time Dr. Shepherd."

Dr. Shepherd shook his hand and guided the man out. "I'll be in touch."

Paul nodded his thanks and made his way back to the truck and started his journey back to Forks.

Bella was neck deep in paperwork for Sue when her phone shrilled a phone call. She glanced at the number and didn't recognize it. She briefly considered not answering before she grabbed the phone and slid the green bar.

"Hello?" She queried into the phone, cradling it between her ear and shoulder.

"Hi, is this Isabella Swan?" A male voice asked.

"This is she."

"This Dr. Shepherd. I'm calling regarding the trial you submitted Charles Swan for."

Bella's heart pounded as she pushed back from her desk. "Hi Dr. Shepherd. What can I do for you?"

"Ms. Swan, I'm calling to rescind the letter of rejection we initially sent you. We'd like to extend an invitation to your father to be a part of my trial." The man informed her.

Bella gasped. "Oh God, really? I… I'm sorry… speechless doesn't begin to describe it. I'm… Thank you so much Dr. Shepherd, I can't tell you what this means to me." She stuttered out, unable to form coherent sentences.

Dr. Shepherd chuckled. "I'm happy to provide good news. My staff will send you the information packet with all the necessary details you'll need for the coming months. Do you have any questions Ms. Swan?" He asked.

She gulped in a breath of air. "Can… Can I ask what it was that changed your mind?" She requested curiously.

The doctor laughed at her question. "A very stubborn, convincing and informative visit from a police officer friend of yours down there in Forks. He refused to leave my lobby until he spoke with me. He stated your case very eloquently, and informed me of your father's recent incident. It was enough to convince me that we needed him in this study. I'm to understand this news would make you very happy."

She bit her lip and nodded, despite the fact that the man on the other end of the phone couldn't see her. "Yes, it does make me very happy. Thank you… Thank you so much." She breathed softly.

Dr. Shepherd offered his goodbyes and they ended the call.

Bella's phone dropped soundlessly onto the floor as she pounded up the stairs and into the living room. She threw open the front door and stepped onto the porch. Her gaze came to rest on the empty driveway across the street.

_He must've just left for work._

Charlie would be with Billy for the rest of the day and Paul was pulling a twelve hour shift.

She needed to thank him. But nothing she came up with seemed to be enough. He'd driven all the way to Seattle on her behalf. He'd camped out in a lobby all day for her. Nothing she did would be enough, but she'd do her best to try.

She grabbed the spare key he'd left with them, along with her cleaning supplies and darted across the street.

The next eight hours passed in a blur. She cleaned his home from top to bottom, scrubbed baseboards, windows, even his oven. And when that was done, she moved onto his laundry. He was _such_ a man when it came to general housekeeping. His laundry was clean and folded before 2 pm.

One glance into his fridge was enough to send her speeding to the grocery store. She stocked his shelves and prepared a week's worth of meals. She quickly wrapped and froze them before starting on his meal for the evening.

By 5 pm she'd prepared a large pot of chili, doled out enough what she hoped was enough for him and cut two large hunks of her homemade French bread to go along with it. She covered and stowed the rest of the food in the fridge.

She surveyed her handiwork with pride. His house was spotless, his clothes were clean and his cabinets were stocked. But to her, it still didn't feel like she'd done enough. He'd given her hope… She'd given him a clean house.

But it was nearing 6 and there wasn't any more time, he'd be home soon.

Bella locked his door behind her and dragged her tired body back across the street. She checked her phone as she climbed the steps to her room. Only one message. Charlie was going to stay on the rez with Billy and go fishing in the morning.

A night to herself was just what she needed after her day. And A hot shower sounded like an absolutely heavenly way to start it. She stood under the shower head and let the steam and hot spray ease away the aches and stresses of the day. That call had renewed her, it had given her back her hope. She was only too happy to return the favor to Paul.

She stayed in the shower until the beads turned cool. She twisted the knobs off and exited the stall. She quickly dried her body and slipped into sweats and a tank top, her chosen sleepwear. She was more than ready to curl up with a glass of wine and a good book.

Bella was towel drying her hair as she ambled down the stairs to find something to eat before she popped the cork on a bottle of wine. But she stopped short when she realized she was most definitely not alone.

Paul was in her kitchen digging through her fridge. She glanced at the table. Two bowls of chili, a plate of bread and two wine glasses stood waiting for them.

She took a moment to observe him. He'd obviously showered and changed himself. He was now wearing low slung jeans and dark plaid button down, the sleeves rolled to his elbows and his feet, as they usually were when he were home, were bare.

"Paul?" She questioned tentatively.

He stood, wine bottle in hand and turned to her.

"Hey Swan." He greeted amiably.

"What're you doing here?" She asked meekly as he stepped right into her personal space.

"Seriously? You just cleaned my house, did my laundry and cooked for me. You didn't think I was going to show up over here? You thought I was just going to let you do that and not acknowledge what you did?" He caged her against the small island, setting the wine behind her.

Her gaze was glued to his chest. At this point, she didn't trust herself to make eye contact. "Well, you didn't have to acknowledge anything Paul. That was kind of the point. It was a thank you. I know it's not much, not compared to what you did for me, but it was the best I could do on short notice." She fumbled, her skin flushing with embarrassment.

"Swan. Look at me." He commanded softly.

Her eyes trailed up the column of his throat, over his jaw and up to his onyx orbs.

"What you just did for me… I don't have words for. All I did was take a little road trip and have a conversation with a reasonable man. What you did… Swan, that's the nicest thing anyone's done for me and if you think I was going to just let it go by without a word, you're crazier than I thought." He huffed out, his gaze darkening as she swallowed deeply. His eyes flicked down to her throat and he smirked.

She quirked a questioning eyebrow at him.

"I can hear your heart pounding. What gives? Why are you so nervous?" He questioned unnecessarily.

She rolled her eyes and didn't dignify him with an answer. He already knew it, she wasn't going to say it just to satisfy him.

"C'mon Swan… It's just me…" He murmured as he dropped his mouth to her earlobe, his tongue flicking a path along the shell.

"What…What're you doing?" She stuttered out softly.

She felt his lips curl against her ear. "Swan, I thought you were smarter than that. I told you before… 'M more of an 'actions speak louder than words' kinda guy… So this is me, acting… Now shut up and leave me be." He whispered before trailing his mouth to that sweet spot behind her ear. His teeth grazed the soft skin and she whimpered out her approval.

She heard him inhale deeply as he lifted one hand from the counter and pressed his palm possessively against her lower back, his large fingers splaying out to reach the crest of her ass. The other hand took up residence in her damp hair.

"I could get lost in you." He muttered as he nipped his way along her jaw. He didn't give her the chance to respond before he captured her lips with his own.

She moaned out her approval. She twined one hand behind his neck and gripped the front of his shirt with the other. The hand he'd rested on her back slid lower and cupped her ass firmly. With no hesitation, he lifted her and rested her on the counter in front of him. His tongue glided smoothly against hers, his tongue flicked the roof of her mouth as his hand skimmed up her back and under her tank top. Her skin was still warm and slightly dewy from the shower. He dug in the pads of his fingers as he drew his hand back down, eliciting a low moan from the petite brunette.

Her arousal was practically assaulting his nose. He dropped one hand from her back to grip her thigh, gripped it as if it was all that was keeping him there. She slipped a hand inside the unbuttoned collar of his shirt and trailed her fingers along the ridge of his collar bone.

He let his hand trail from her back around to her sides, slowly sweeping circles across her flesh, his rough fingers arching higher with each pass. He'd known the moment he saw that she wasn't wearing a bra and that realization only had him aching for the urge to touch her.

She pressed her body closer to him, and in doing so, pressed her core against his hips. The heat and intimate contact had him hissing his pleasure into her mouth. It was her turn to smirk as her fingers found their way to the back of his head where she tugged lightly on his hair. His fingers on her thigh spread out a little bit, reaching ever so slightly closer to her heat.

His thumb brushed firmly across the underside of her breast. She sighed her approval into his mouth and wantonly thrust her small chest towards him. He was two seconds from yanking her shirt down when a loud gurgle interrupted them.

"Hungry Paul?" She questioned in a teasing tone.

His eyes flashed hungrily as he closed his hand around her breast.

"You have no idea."

A/N: DON'T HATE ME. I will be writing a lemon or two but I needed a good place to end this because she's not taking that step, not yet.

A/N 2: This one really took it out of me. In the past, I've never been one for exceptionally long chapters but for some reason, when I outline my chapters for this story, I always end up with incredibly loooong chapters. Which I'm sure you guys don't mind.

Since you guys have been so great, I'm going to share a few ideas with you.

This will not be a story that has her waiting until the very end to choose. She will make a choice… But make no mistake, she will have to deal with what that choice means…

I do have this down as a Paul story and I won't lie, there is something about the P/B thing that makes sense but I'm drawn to Embry and what he represents. There are some points where I lean more towards Embry and others where it's all about Paul, but as I said, she will have to deal with what her choice means.

Additionally, a few of you have shown interest in an "alternate ending" of sorts… And since I haven't quite decided how to end this, I can't exactly guarantee I can do that but it is on my mind. I will have a better idea once I get closer to that point.

And as I mentioned at the top, my "ménage" poll will be up until I post the next chapter. So if I have enough interest, I'll try to do a side story about what it would have been like if she hadn't chosen… Again, not entirely sure how it'll work out, but I'll give it a shot.

As always, thanks for reading, you beautiful, beautiful people!


	8. Lost Myself in Search of You

A/N: This chapter is HUGE. The biggest yet. And there's a lot of info, some revelations, so check it out, tell me what you think!

A/N 1: We're doing a time jump. Bella's going to be making a choice soon, likely in chapter 9.

A/N 2: NEW POLL UP. CHECK IT OUT.

A/N 3: We have a slice of a LEMON in this chapter… Probably one in the next too.

Run Right Into You

Chapter 8: Lost Myself in Search of You

_One Month Later_

Bella was halfway through dinner preparations when Charlie ambled in with an empty beer can in hand. He tossed it into the recycling bin and plopped down at the table.

"Any visitors tonight or is it just us?" He asked, his tone teasing as his gaze came to rest on his only child.

She rolled his eyes at the obvious dig. "No dad, just us this evening. Unless you'd like to invite someone up? Got a girlfriend I don't know about?" She questioned with an arch of an eyebrow.

Charlie had the decency to blush. "Don't turn this back on me girlie. We're talking about you and your boys." He reminded her with a small smirk.

"First of all, they're hardly boys, dad. Secondly, they aren't 'mine'… We're just… It's... It's just a little complicated." She tried to explain without it sounding ridiculously dirty.

"Hey, you call it whatever you want, I'm only giving you trouble. Are you going to ask one of them to come with us when we head to Seattle next week?" He pressed as he watched her start to plate their food.

She paused briefly as she considered his query. To be truthful, she hadn't given it any thought. She'd just assumed it would be her and Charlie. She felt a little bit bad that it hadn't occurred to her to ask one of them along, especially since she was fairly positive one of them, Embry, obviously, would have already thought of it.

Bella was fairly confident that either man would go but she didn't even want to begin to figure out who take. Truthfully, it seemed easiest not to invite either.

"Dad, really I think it'll be fine. It's only a week. I'm not going to pull either of them away from their lives for that long. Not to mention how much it would bother the one I don't pick." She replied at last, satisfied with her response. To her, it seemed better not to ask either of them than to ask just one.

Her father studied her for several long moments as he turned her response over in his head. Charlie took a long gulp of his beer before formulating a reply.

"Think you'd feel the same if you were only dating one of them?" He queried at last.

The young woman debated his question internally as she ladled pasta onto a plate for Charlie. She had to admit, he might have her on that one. She set the food in front of her father and quickly served herself.

She waited until she was sitting across from him before she gave him his answer. "I guess I don't really have an answer for that." She mumbled at last. She knew it was a cop-out, but she preferred it to the truth, somehow it seemed safer.

Charlie chewed as he turned his thoughts over in his head. They ate in silence for several long moments before he spoke again.

"For what's it worth, I don't think you should drag this out too much longer. If you do, I think life'll get worse before it gets better." He advised around a mouthful of pasta.

As much as she wanted to refute his words, she couldn't. She couldn't because, simply put, he wasn't wrong.

_Two Days Later_

Paul lazily rocked the porch swing back and forth slowly, as Bella leaned on his side and sipped the last of girly pink wine before setting the glass on the table beside her. His fingers twined absently through her thick chestnut strands. She leaned into his touch and expelled out a contended purr, which zinged down his spine and soothed his mostly silent wolf. He figured if he'd still been an active wolf when she'd come back, he probably would have imprinted on her. Her presence soothed him, in more ways than one. His other hand gripped his beer tightly, nearly painfully. She'd gotten quite good at making his blood simmer with little effort on her part.

Unaware of the effect she was having on Paul, she scooted closer and tucked a hand into the crease of his crossed legs and squeezed lightly. He tugged lightly on her hair in response. She turned her face up to meet his gaze.

Her caramel colored eyes turned to his onyx gaze. He wasted only a second before closing the small distance between their lips and claiming her for himself.

She gave herself over to him as his fingers tangled possessively in her dark hair. The pads of his fingers massaged into her neck as she gripped his shirt collar and tugged, as if she couldn't get him close enough. His free hand wrapped securely around her lower back, his nimble fingers slipping smoothly beneath her shirt to graze the soft skin hiding underneath.

She stuttered out a breath as his fingers climbed higher on her back. She slid her fingers along the muscles outlined across his shoulders. His tongue probed her mouth, dueling with hers for control. She handed it over happily.

He was seconds from hauling her lithe frame into his lap when his phone buzzed on the table next to him. Paul desperately wanted to ignore it but it was the work phone, avoiding it was not an option.

Reluctantly, he separated himself from Bella and scooped the phone off the table, answering it swiftly.

Bella took a few deep, calming breaths as she tried to compose herself. Paul, she had discovered, had a tendency to test her self control in more ways than one.

He clicked the phone shut and turned back to his expectant companion.

"Do you have to go?" She questioned.

He shook his head. "Nah, just Kendall checking in. We're good." He replied as he slung his arm back around her.

She nodded her understanding and tucked her head into his shoulder.

Absently, his fingers delved into her hair, his fingertips brushing against the skin of her neck. "You ready for next week?" He asked, referring to her and Charlie's upcoming trip to Seattle.

"Yeah, I guess. As ready as we can be for something like that. I think we're both a little anxious about the whole thing but it's his best shot right now, so we're both being as optimistic as we can be." She elaborated.

He pressed his lips to the crown of her hair. He could hear the stress and fear in her voice. Hell, he could smell it. This was the basket she was putting all her eggs in and praying to the gods above that the bottom didn't drop out.

"Listen. I know you're trying to do this by yourself. But you don't have to. If you wanted, I could go with you next week. I can be there for you. I can be that guy." He muttered, his face tinged a light crimson color.

She smiled softly into his neck. "I know you can be. No one doubts that. I just think it's for the best if I do this alone. My focus has to be on Charlie. And if I bring you…" She trailed off, not wanting to finish the statement. He was smart enough to know what she meant.

Paul heaved a sigh and nodded. He got it. If he went along, she'd be worried about how that would affect Embry and vice versa.

"I get it." He mumbled, clearly not happy with her reasoning but he'd agreed to this so he was playing by her rules.

The obvious disappointment in his voice resonated with her. She knew this was tough on Paul, perhaps tougher on him that it was on Embry. Paul was no used to… "sharing", so to speak. This was an adjustment for him, one that he was handling as gracefully as he could, given the situation.

She pressed a palm to his chest. "It means a lot that you offered. More than I can tell you." She assured him as she pressed a warm kiss to the underside of his jaw.

He leaned into her, allowing himself to enjoy the moment.

Bella leaned up and touched her lips to his. "I'd better get back. Have to start getting ready for next week." She told him as she got to her feet.

He nodded his understanding. "Don't leave without saying goodbye." He replied softly as she looped her arms around his neck for a hug.

"Never." She stepped off the porch and disappeared across the street.

_Three Days Later_

The sofa in Embry's small garage was ridiculously comfortable. She'd been lounging on it, flipping through some last minute paperwork from Sue. The garage was mostly quiet, the sounds of Embry tuning up the Ford Escort served as background noise as she finished her work. She and Charlie were due to leave the following day and she wanted to get the paperwork done before she left.

She shoved the papers into her bag and kicked back on the couch, closing her eyes to the sounds of metal clanking and the soft music humming out of the radio. She was out before she made it through an entire song.

A searing heat roused her from her nap. She shifted against the warmth, wanting to wrap herself in it. She felt the heat at her neck, on her thigh, it was seeping through, inviting her in, enveloping her.

Embry chuckled at the petite woman. He'd finished up the Ford as quickly as he could, wanting to spend as much time with her as possible, only to find her fast asleep on his couch. He'd crouched down next to her, rested his palm on her thigh and pressed a kiss to her bare, inviting neck.

She moved slightly against him, and moaned softly. The small moan had zinged directly down his spine and headed south. For a moment, he let the fantasy of taking her in his garage consume him…

_His mouth claimed hers in a possessive duel as he pressed her body up against the garage wall, his hands making quick work of her blouse and pants, tossing them away. His fingers pressed down her body, holding her close to him._

_Her nimble fingers clenched tightly into his bicep as she panted into his mouth. She couldn't get enough, couldn't be close enough. She needed to feel him, all of him._

_Before he realized what she was doing, she'd yanked his shirt over his head and her fingers were already skimming down his chest to the belt holding up his grimy jeans._

_Embry snatched her small fingers and held them above her head with just one of his massive hands. The other quickly sunk into her panties, the heady aroma of her arousal smacking him in the face. She wanted him. _

_He circled her clit with his thumb twice before sinking a finger into her heat. She let loose a strangled cry that melted into a moan. He grunted his own pleasure when her juices thoroughly coated his finger. He added another one on the upstroke and she bowed into him. _

"_God you feel so good around my fingers… I can't wait to feel you around my dick." He muttered in her ear. _

_Embry had never spoken to her in that fashion before. It was just enough to push her over the cliff, head first into her orgasm. She cried out her release as her juices dripped down his fingers._

_He withdrew, earning a whimper of protest from the small woman. Brazenly, he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. His wolf, usually dormant, was panting his happiness. He liked the way Bella tasted, he liked it VERY much._

"_Up you go, gorgeous." He told her once she'd regained her breath, now patting her ass twice to encourage her to hop up into his arms. _

_She did as she was told and he quickly spun her around and placed her on the hood of the black car sitting behind them. _

"_Spread those stems baby, I wanna see you." He whispered, nipping at her earlobe. He felt her shiver against him as she followed his instructions._

_Her pink folds were glistening with her recent orgasm and fresh arousal. He growled his approval, running his hands from her ankle to her knees, stopping there to spread them even further apart._

"_If you want to undress me, now would be a good time." He suggested, holding her dark, lusty gaze with one of his own._

_She didn't hesitate. Her fingers flew to his button and zipper. She shoved the jeans as far as they'd go and he pushed them the rest of the way down. His erection was bulging through the boxer briefs he was wearing. She tucked her fingers into the sides and yanked them down. They joined his jeans on the dirty floor._

_She'd no sooner reached for them when he grabbed hold of her wrist. He shook his head twice. "As much as I'd love to feel your hands on me, now is not the time." He mumbled as he stepped to her._

_He tucked his hands into the backs of her knees and slid her forward. He slid his arms up and held her knees in the crook of his elbow. She felt his tip probing at her folds, teasing her entrance. She tried to buck against him but he held her firm, he was driving this, not her._

He was startled from his daydream by a soft touch to his chin. Bella was awake and staring at him with an amused expression on her face.

"Where'd you go?" She questioned as his cheeks stained a deep crimson shade.

"Somewhere I'd like to take you some day." He muttered sheepishly before pressing a lingering kiss to her pink lips.

She smiled against his lips and let him pull her to her feet. They had plans to have a beachside picnic and she was eager to start her evening with him.

Embry was just polishing off the last of his chocolate cheesecake when Bella sighed softly beside him.

"Something bothering you B?" He questioned, his gaze sliding to her.

She hesitated before answering. She didn't want him to be confused or take her words in the wrong fashion.

"I'm just… This week is going to be long and I'm not looking forward to it." She explained at last.

He knew she'd been semi-dreading the trip to Seattle with Charlie, she'd not hidden that fact. But she hadn't asked him to go along or even hinted that she would miss him. So, for the most part, he'd kept his mouth shut.

"I'm sure it's going to be a long week, but it's good that you're doing this, like you said, this is his best shot. And I know it's a lot to endure, especially on your own, but you can do that, you've proven that much. You've done this all by yourself, and not because you had to, but because you wanted to." Embry reminded her.

She sighed. She heard him. She knew that was his way of telling her he wanted to be there, that he didn't want her to feel like she couldn't lean on him. This was hard on him, not giving all of himself, holding back, not being able to fully express himself, knowing there was a chance, a solid chance, that this might not sway in his favor. So instead, he pushed it down, reserved a part of his heart, kept the important pieces of himself private.

Bella laid a comforting hand on his arm. Maybe she'd been wrong. Maybe this was harder on Embry than on Paul. Embry was so accustomed to giving freely and openly and she knew him well enough to know he wasn't doing that, not in this scenario. It made her heart ache for him. Her father had been right. She was going to have to make a decision, it was already starting to hurt.

"I know you want to come along. And I can't tell you what that means to me. But, I just… I have so much on my plate right now, I just… I can't." She stuttered out a ridiculously pathetic explanation.

He tugged her into the open space between his legs and she leaned back against his chest, sighing at the contact. He rested his chin on top of her head, enjoying the closeness of the moment.

"I know. I don't like it but I know. Don't worry about me. I'll figure it out." He muttered as he breathed in the distinctive smell that was so very much her.

She wanted desperately to make him feel better but she knew there was only one solid, surefire way to make him feel better… She'd have to pick him.

Bella trailed her fingertips down his muscled arms, enjoying the feel of his heated skin against hers. His sinewy muscles rippled under her touch, making it clear that he was enjoying the attention as well.

He dropped his lips to her neck and started to press small, hot kisses along the juncture between her neck and her shoulder, smirking slightly at each little whimper she let loose.

She pressed harder back against him, her fingers now clenching into his large thigh muscles. Bella turned her head and allowed him more access, which he accepted greedily.

Before she could blink, he'd shifted her to her back and was now resting comfortably over her. He offered her a quick grin before dipping his head down and claiming her mouth.

His tongue slipped between the seam of lips and lazily flicked against hers. His fingers dragged slowly down her sides and slipped effortlessly under her top. She shuddered under his gentle ministrations, the pads of his fingers traced abstract patterns across her abdomen, arching higher with every pass.

Bella's hands and ducked under the back of his t-shirt already and her small fingers were digging into his shoulder blades, pressing down, needing to feel him closer to her.

Embry shifted and Bella felt the weight of his erection press against her thigh. She gasped lightly at the feel and without thinking, pressed back up against him.

He tore his lips from her and groaned at the intimate contact. He gripped her hips to him now and panted his excitement into her ear. One hand traveled to the hem of her shirt and paused. He wanted nothing more than to pull it from her and immerse himself in her but he just… He wasn't… He couldn't…

"I really want this, you know. I really want to feel your skin against mine, to taste every inch of you… But I don't think… I don't think we should…" He fumbled, red faced and slightly embarrassed.

She grinned up at him as she lightly grazed her fingers down his back. "I'm with you, Em. I understand." And she did. She knew exactly where he was coming from and the last thing she wanted was to put him in an uncomfortable situation.

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, his nose brushed lightly up against hers in a decidedly intimate moment. She smiled softly up at him and gladly accepted his offer to help her stand.

"So this is goodbye for a week huh?" He asked as they made their way back to her truck.

Bella tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and nodded. "Yep. We leave first thing tomorrow." She reported.

"Where are you staying?" He questioned as he caught her hand in his.

"I'm at the Eagle Harbor Inn on Bainbridge Island." She replied as they came to a stop at her truck.

He turned to face her, drawing her into his arms. She leaned against him as he threaded his fingers through her hair. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Miss ya like crazy, kid." He muttered, breathing in her scent, committing it to memory.

Her hands came to rest on his waist as she pressed closer to him. "Miss you too." She mumbled as she turned her face to his.

His inky black eyes probed her gaze, looking for affirmation, confirmation that she was being honest, that she would feel the loss in same way he would.

Those dark eyes flicked to her lips as he closed the distance and pressed a lingering kiss to her pliant mouth. She accepted the gesture and returned it with equal fervor. One hand came up to cup her face, while the other wrapped around her waist, tugging her up to him.

At last, when the need for oxygen overcame them, they broke apart. "Damn it, woman. You drive me crazy, you know that?" He huffed out as he squeezed her waist affectionately.

She smiled wryly up at him. "I do my best." She snarked back with a cheeky laugh.

He rolled his eyes and pecked her forehead. "Call me when you get in." He requested.

"Will do."

With nothing further left to say, she gave his hand one last warm squeeze, climbed into her truck and pulled away.

So would begin the longest week of her life.

_Roughly 24 Hours Later_

The drive to Seattle had been quick. They'd left early the following morning, shortly before Bella found a small purple gift bag sitting on the driver's side seat of her truck.

She quickly dumped the contents onto the seat and pawed through the contents. A couple of mixed CD's, an assortment of her favorite sweets, a couple of Sudoku books, an extra phone charger, a blow up pillow, a reading light and a fold up poncho.

Movement caught at the corner of her eye. Paul. She turned to face his house. Then the realization hit her. He'd been watching for her. He'd done this.

She offered him a half smile and a wave. They'd said their goodbyes the night before… With her back up against the door of his house, one hand freely gripping her ass, the other tangled in her hair, his tongue exploring her mouth. He'd nipped her ear, her jaw and sent her on her way with a gruff "You gotta go or I'm gonna fuck you through this door."

Her arousal was whitehot at that point and she came centimeters from telling him to just do it already. But she'd kept her wits and moved away from him, but only after he'd tapped her firmly on the ass on the way out.

"See you in a week Swan. Dream about me." He'd ordered, watching from the porch until she was safely inside the house.

Now, they'd made it to Seattle, checked Bella into her hotel, and taken the ferry across the water to meet up with Dr. Shepherd.

They'd been shown to the doctor's private office fairly quickly. Charlie was sitting on the couch, clearly uncomfortable. Bella had pulled an aged copy of _People_ off the wall and was absently flipping the pages.

The door swung open a few minutes later. "Charles Swan?" The man questioned, hand offered for a shake.

Charlie nodded and shook the doctor's hand. "Dr. Shepherd. And you must be Isabella." He guessed as he turned to Bella.

She nodded and took the extended hand. "It's good to meet you both. I trust you got here alright?" He asked as he took a seat at his desk.

"We did, it's a pretty short trip from Forks." Charlie replied, visibly relaxing as he settled into the chair next to Bella and across from the doctor.

Dr. Shepherd smiled warmly and flipped open Charlie's file. "Alright, well first things first. You will be staying here on the premises. It's not a hospital room, more of a small hotel suite. You'll have a bed, couch, desk, TV, private bathroom. Your meals are provided, served in a small cafeteria. You can eat there or take it to your room. Bella, you're not staying here, right?" He questioned, turning to the young woman.

"No, I'm staying on Bainbridge Island. Eagle Harbor Inn." She reported.

The doctor smiled softly. "Just a quick ride over the water. I like ferry boats. Kind of have a thing for them. Anyways, sorry. There aren't any set visiting hours, I'd just recommend calling up here first, see if he's in the middle of any tests or exams, otherwise head over whenever you want. This is a week long ordeal, involving a series of tests, exams, interviews, things of that nature. At some point during this week, we'll determine the best course of treatment with regards to your health, as well as the trial, since that is why you're here. You can agree to it and go forward with the treatment or you can decline and go home, no expenses being billed to you. It will ultimately be your choice, you are not bound to anything. Any questions?" He finished.

Charlie took a moment to absorb before turning to Bella.

"Anything he missed Bells?" He asked, his gaze resting on his only child.

She shook her head. "No, I think that about covers it."

"Great. I'll have the nurse show you up to your room then, get you settled. We'll start everything tomorrow. Good to see you both." Dr. Shepherd said, shaking both their hands as they stepped out of his office.

A nurse took them upstairs soon after. She showed Charlie to his room, gave him an information sheet with all the meal options, as well as phone numbers and other general information.

"Well dad, it looks like you're good here. I'm probably going to head back to the hotel and get myself settled." Bella told him once the nurse had departed.

Charlie stepped to her and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm glad you're here, Bells."

She leaned into her father's scent and breathed him in. "Me too, dad."

Hard as it was, she left him at the facility and rode the ferry back alone. The weather was agreeable and the light spray of water that kicked up when the ferry crossed a wave was soothing and refreshing.

The first two days of their week were fairly calm. She woke fairly early, checked in with Sue, then called to see if Charlie was otherwise occupied. As long as he wasn't involved in an exam or a test, she'd head up to the clinic and spend time with her dad. Her downtime was spent at the closest coffee shop or browsing the shelves at the bookstore around the corner from her hotel.

On the afternoon of their third day in Seattle, Dr. Shepherd requested her presence, along with Charlie's, for a meeting.

By two pm they were seated across from the doctor, waiting expectantly.

"Bella, thanks for coming in today. I know it's a bit early in the week to be discussing this, but based off the information we've gathered in the past couple of days, I have a recommendation for Charlie's treatment." Dr. Shepherd began, shifting his gaze from father to daughter.

Both leaned forward slightly, more than ready to hear his suggestions.

"There's a procedure I've been doing on patients who've experienced symptoms at an escalated pace. I do need to tell you, this is a risky operation. And I can't guarantee the results. I can tell you that I've experienced some success with this new procedure, though I will admit, my previous patients haven't been quite in Charlie's place, as far as the symptom speeds. But I think it's worth a shot. I think I might be able to help you, Charlie. If you're willing." Dr. Shepherd finished. He took a breath and steepled his fingers, waiting for the response.

Charlie blew out a breath and closed his eyes briefly. This man he'd known less than three days wanted to go poking around in his brain, tweaking the wires, rerouting the system. He might come out better but he might not.

Bella's heart seized in her chest as she attempted to digest the words Dr. Shepherd had just spoken. He wanted to cut her father's head open and go exploring. To say she found this unsettling would be putting it mildly.

"I'm sorry, maybe I'm confused, but I thought this was an observation period? I thought you were using this week to run tests, maybe a few exams, now you're telling me you want to cut into his brain?" She questioned, her voice raising slightly as she finished her statement.

Dr. Shepherd had been expecting this response. Alzheimer's was difficult enough to deal with, let alone adding surgery to the mix. "Well, I was going to recommend a treatment method regardless; essentially I'm just doing it sooner. Granted, this method is rather… aggressive. But I do believe it's your best bet." He explained calmly.

Bella felt her father's hand close over hers. She turned to meet his gaze. He sighed and slowly nodded his head. "I think I need to do this, Bells. It's a chance, an honest to goodness chance, I can't pass that up. And if by chance, it doesn't help me… Bells, it might help someone else." He decided, his voice soft with emotion.

She bowed her head for a moment, wanting so badly to disagree, to tell him not to do this. She was the whole reason he'd agreed to be in the study to begin with and now they wanted to cut his brain open. She wanted to tell him no, not to do it, not to subject himself to dangerous surgery to make her happy. But she said nothing. This was not her call, not her choice. It was his and he'd made it.

The hand holding hers squeezed gently. She lifted her eyes to his. She nodded slowly. "OK." She whispered out.

Dr. Shepherd had begun to speak but all she could hear was a low humming noise. She wasn't processing anything, all she could think about what this surgery, what it could mean, what might happen. The realization that she might lose her father yanked painfully on her heart. She had not come here prepared for this conversation but there they were, having it.

Finally, the man who wanted to cut her father open was done talking. She mumbled her goodbyes and silently followed her father to his room.

"I think you need to take a walk, Bella. Go process or whatever it is that you do." Charlie suggested as they arrived at his room.

She stared at him. Did he really expect her to just walk away and leave him? He must've left his brain back in the doctor's office.

"Dad, I think I should-" she attempted to disagree but Charlie held up his hand and shook his head.

"No Bella, we're not discussing this. You need some time. I need some time. Go on, do what you do best. Come back tomorrow, we'll have lunch and talk." He suggested kindly.

She blew out a breath and nodded. She certainly wasn't keen on leaving him but he wasn't giving her much of a choice in the matter.

Bella wrapped Charlie in a quick hug and promised to be back the next day.

She did exactly as Charlie suggested. She took the ferry back to Bainbridge, grabbed a coffee and let her thoughts run their course.

By the time the sun had sunk into the sea, Bella had come to terms with her father's decision. Getting the best possible outcome for Charlie was why they were there, she had lost sight of that but now, she understood.

So, after collecting herself and reviewing the pamphlets, she picked up the phone. It was time to call Billy. His best friend was going under the knife. He needed to know.

He reacted as she expected. He was understanding but concerned. In the end, he decided the right thing to do was to come out, see him, stay be his life-long friend's side. She's grateful he was making the trip and she told him as much.

Billy hung up the phone and turned his gaze to his only son. "Charlie's having an experimental procedure up in Seattle. Don't suppose you feel like driving your old man out to see Charlie, do you?"

Jake fixed his father with a look. His old man was many things, transparent being one of them. Nonetheless, turning him down was hardly an option.

He ran a calloused hand through his dark hair and nodded. "Yeah, sure dad. I'll take you. When do you want to head out?" He asked amiably.

Billy considered the time frame before deciding. "Tomorrow morning should work fine. He's having surgery the day after that." The older man decided at last.

Jake nodded his understanding and drowned the rest of the coffee that he'd stopped over to have with his father.

"You sure it'll be OK to be gone that long?" Billy questioned, referring to his son's life and family in La Push.

Jake offered him a half smile. "It's Charlie."

Billy quirked an eyebrow. "And Bella."

Jake gave in and offered his father acquiescence. "And Bella." He confirmed wearily.

"Son, I'm sure you don't me to say this, but this would be a good opportunity for you to talk to her, explain yourself, maybe mend some fences." Billy suggested.

Jake nodded. He'd been expecting that suggestion. "Dad, I've tried… She doesn't want anything to do with me." Jake reminded his father.

Billy rolled his eyes skyward for a moment, sending up a silent wish to the Spirits before returning his gaze to his son. "It's you and Bella. You'll figure it out. You always do."

The following morning brought the arrival of the Black men in Seattle. She was none too pleased to see Jake had tagged along with his father but Billy couldn't drive, so there were only so many options.

She greeted the older man warmly, her arms wrapped tightly around his frame and she whispered her appreciation into his ear.

Billy quickly made himself scarce. He wheeled himself to the elevator bay and left his son with one last, meaningful look.

She turned to Jake and spoke before he was able to gather his thoughts into a cohesive statement.

"I'm very thankful you brought him up here, it'll mean a lot to Charlie. But as far as you and I go, I don't have anything further to say to you." Bella's tone was firm and left little room for argument on Jake's part.

Fortunately for him, that hadn't ever stopped him before.

"Look. I get it. You don't want anything to do with me. And I can respect that, on one condition." He bargained.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and met his gaze. She was waiting for his terms.

"Listen to me. Hear me out. Let me tell you what actually happened. I'll even answer any and all questions, just let me talk. And after I'm done, after it's all been hashed out, if you want me to leave you alone, I will. Obviously that's the last thing I want, but if that's what it takes for you to hear me, then I'll do it."

She knew this man. She knew him far too well. Persistence was his middle name. He wasn't going to let it ride. He would pursue this – and her, for as long as it took to say what he needed to say.

"I have a few things to do here. Meet me at the ferry dock for Bainbridge Island at noon. We can talk then." She agreed at last.

He offered her a nod. "I'll be there."

Bella watched him make his way to the block of elevators, obviously intending to head up to Charlie's room to visit his father's best friend.

Her gaze never wavered from his back. Some days, it was hard to believe it'd been five years since he'd crunched her heart to bits. Some days it was hard to believe that the man she'd once considered to be her best friend was someone she could hardly stand to be in the same room with. The loss of his presence in her life had made her heart hurt, hurt for many months after she'd fled Forks.

She didn't relish it being hurt again.

Jake found the ferry docks easily and after that, signs helpfully pointed him in the direction of the Bainbridge Island Ferry. He grabbed two coffees from the small shop nearby and ambled over to the half full ferry. By his guess, she hadn't arrived yet. He took a seat on a bench facing the entrance and waited for her to make her appearance.

He didn't wait long. She stepped onto the boat not quite five minutes after he sat down. He watched as her gaze flitted around the boat, obviously looking for him. Her eyes fell on him and recognition passed across her face. He offered her a little wave, which she returned as she started to make her way towards him.

Silently, he handed her the coffee he'd bought for her. She took a long pull, thoroughly enjoying the strong beverage now warming her hands.

They sat, not speaking for a few moments, silently reacquainting themselves with each other.

Finally, Jake broke the quiet between them. "I guess I should start… From the beginning?" He questioned tentatively, his eyes sliding her way.

She nodded. "That's usually the best place to begin." She agreed, not meeting his gaze.

Jake breathed out his agreement, took a long sip of his coffee and began.

"I met Sydney at the Makah reservation that day after I lied to you and told you I'd imprinted on you. Quil and I went with Embry to visit his grandfather. He was too ill to make the trip down for his birthday so Embry was going to him. He'd always been a little uncomfortable with his mother's family so we offered to go along. She was at the house when we got there. I imprinted right then."

He paused, knowing she'd need a few moments to process this information. He kept his gaze forward as he took a quick pull off his coffee.

For her part, Bella's face remained neutral, unchanged from his words. He took that as his cue to keep going.

"What they say about imprinting… It's true… kind of. I mean, yes, I did feel a pull to her, I did feel an urge to be close, to protect her. But those urges didn't create some sort of romantic pull. I didn't feel that for her. I wasn't attracted to her. And she wasn't attracted to me. She made it clear that all she wanted was a friendship. She wanted someone else. And the imprint dictates the relationship." He continued, his eyes on her now, waiting to see her response to his revelation.

"How did she take the news? I mean, finding out your cousin and his friends are wolves… That had to be a lot."

Jake laughed softly. "She knew already. Embry had phased in front of her. Entirely on accident but it happened. Sydney was already aware of what I was and what it meant to imprint. It actually took a lot of stress off." He replied wryly.

"I'll bet." She muttered as she took the last drink of her coffee before chucking the empty cup into the bin next to her.

"It didn't change how I felt for you. Neither of us wanted that sort of relationship. The need to be near her was there, but the imprint… It didn't change me, it didn't change who I wanted… I even had a plan, you know… I had it all worked out. I was going to stop phasing and hope that the pull to Syd would die off. I'll admit, I had no intention of telling you the truth because to me, my feelings for you were stronger than what I felt for her. I may have felt a pull to her but it was still you that I wanted most."

Bella felt like she'd been smacked in the face with a tidal wave. Of all the words, explanations, excuses that she'd expected to come out of his mouth, what he'd just revealed… She'd never even considered it.

"So you were just going to ignore the imprint and never tell me." She clarified, not bothering to phrase her statement as a question.

"I wasn't going to ignore it. She needed a friend and I was going to be that for her. Then I was going to stop phasing, as soon as the time was right. I was confident the imprint would've worn off after I'd been human long enough. And even if it hadn't worn off, she and I would have remained friends. She never mattered in the way you did. We do have a connection, but its only there because the needs of the wolf are so strong." He confessed. Jake was feeling incredibly uncomfortable with how much he was laying out there. It felt foreign, it made him vulnerable.

Her voice cut into his train of thought. "What about the needs of the man?"

He shook his head sadly. "I don't know. And I guess it doesn't really matter, because right now, it's all about what my wolf needs." He informed her, his dark eyes closed off and unreadable.

"So you still phase?" She whispered out, the wind whipping her hair across her face.

He nodded his response. "I'm the alpha." He said simply.

"Why didn't you stop? Like you planned?" She questioned.

He lowered his gaze briefly before refocusing his gaze on the chipped paint of the bench they sat on.

"Once I realized you had no intention of coming back, there was no point in giving it up."

His explanation was simple and true. And it struck a chord deep inside her. She felt her soul vibrate at his honest admission.

"When did you give in? When did she?"

He offered her a half smile and scratched his head absently. "It was over a year after you left. We were commiserating over our shitty love lives, got drunk and she got pregnant. After that, it just made sense to be together. I guess it was easier..." He trailed off, not willing to meet her gaze.

She sucked in a deep breath and finally slid her gaze to his. "Do you love her?"

"She's the mother of my child. She completes the part of me that needs completing the most. But if you're asking if I feel for her in the way I felt for you, then no. I don't. I never did and I probably never will." He sighed, his tone was soft and resigned.

"Never?" She asked softly.

And there it was. The moment of truth. The moment where he had to give himself up.

"Never. Because… Well… Like it or not, Bella Swan, you were the big love of my life. You were it for me." He answered softly.

She sucked in a lungful of air and attempted to rein in the tempestuous thoughts swirling through her mind.

Jake observed her as she began processing everything he'd just dumped on her. The fear, frustration and anxiety were just rolling off her in waves. It was so thick he could practically taste it.

"I need to apologize. I need to apologize for dumping this all on you at once, and I truly hope none of this effects what you have with Paul and Embry. This wasn't a ploy or anything like that. I just… I just wanted to… I wanted to help, I wanted you to see it from the other side, to know that there's always a choice and I didn't make the right one. But, right now you obviously need space. And I can respect that. So I'm going to let you be. I'll be around until after Charlie's surgery. So if you need me, you know how to find me."

He didn't give her an opportunity to say anything further. He strode off to the front of the ferry and she didn't see him the rest of the ride to the island.

Her short walk to the hotel gave her a little time to start making sense of everything Jake had just laid on her. It was a lot to take on, especially given the circumstances with her father but he'd been right, they'd needed to have that talk. Nevertheless, the whole ordeal had left her feeling completely drained and exhausted.

She'd just barely stepped foot into her hotel when her eyes fell upon a familiar face.

"Embry." She breathed his name.

He met her gaze and quickly got to his feet. His expression was sheepish and he was doing that thing where he rubbed the back of his neck when he knew he'd done something he shouldn't have.

"Hey B. I…I know you asked me to stay home, that you had a lot on your plate and you just wanted to have time with your dad. But I heard Charlie was having surgery tomorrow and I just… It didn't feel right you being alone."

She sighed heavily, took the tall Quileute by the arm and pulled him into a quiet corner.

Under other circumstances, she'd be thrilled by his appearance and touched by his kind words. But between the stress of her father's surgery and the revelations Jake had just smacked her in the face with, she was ready to curl up and pass out. She didn't want to talk about her feelings, her father, Jake, or anything else. All she truly wanted was to be alone.

"Embry, it means a lot that you drove all this way for me. It does. I'm not all that surprised, to be honest. But, I'm just… I can't do this right now. I'm OK. I have Billy with me for tomorrow, and then, we'll be home a few days after that. I just… I don't want you to take this the wrong way because I'm having a rough couple of days, but this is why I didn't ask you guys to come out here because now I'm worried about if Paul knows, and how he feels and that's the absolute last thing I should be doing right now."

For his part, he looked properly chastised. Sue had warned him against coming out here for her. Bella had made her wishes very clear.

"I'm sorry Bella. I really, God, I messed this one up huh? I should have listened…" He mumbled, obviously understanding the error of his ways.

"Embry…." She sighed heavily, now feeling slightly bad for lecturing him.

"Say the word and I'll go home. I'll go and I'll leave you alone until you decide you're ready to talk."

Well now she just felt awful. Embry had driven all this way to offer her support. True, she'd requested they both stay home but he'd heard she was dealing with something, followed his gut and went after her. Now, she was punishing him.

"Let me sleep on it?" She requested timidly.

He offered her a genuine grin and took a step closer. "You got it. I'll meet you for breakfast?" He suggested.

She nodded and they quickly agreed on a time and went their separate ways.

Sleep did not come easily that night. She tossed and turned throughout most of the night, well into the early hours of the morning, catching the odd half hour of shut eye here and there. Most of her thoughts revolved in this giant Charlie/Jake/Embry/Paul circle and by 4 am, she felt certifiable.

She gave up. She gave up and gave in. Her hand fumbled for her phone on the nightstand and she drew it to her face and opened the messages.

**Bella: Morning.**

**Paul: Swan, it's 4 am. Have you lost your mind?**

**Bella: Doesn't your shift start soon?**

**Paul: Yes, which is why I'm up. Why are you?**

**Bella: Bad day.**

**Paul: It's only been today for 4 hours. How bad can it be?  
><strong>

**Bella: Funny. Bad day YESTERDAY.**

Her phone vibrated not 30 seconds later.

"You've got my ear, spill it Swan."

And for the first time since the day before, she didn't hesitate. She poured her heart out to him. She updated him on what was going on with Charlie, and how Jake showed up and thrust the truth on her.

"You know, he told you all of that for a reason. And it wasn't just to get it off his chest. I'm not saying he's making a play for you but everything Jake does, he does for a reason. But it's up to you to figure out what he's trying to tell you. Crazy as it is, it's what makes him such a damn good alpha." Paul commented once she finished her tirade.

She silently considered his theory. He likely wasn't far off the mark. Jacob was nothing if not deliberate in his ways.

"I suppose you may be right. He's a very purposeful person." She mused as she stared at the red numbers on her alarm clock.

"He's nothing if not. But I'm sorry you had to deal with all that alone, Swan. That's rough." He apologized quietly.

She knew Paul was hardly an emotional person, and she knew what he was trying to say, even if he wasn't using his words.

Before she could stop herself, she was speaking again.

"Embry drove out."

She smacked the palm of her hand to her forehead. That was so NOT the way she wanted to tell him. She'd had every intention of being honest and telling him the truth but blurting it out over the phone at 4:30 in the morning was not the way she'd intended to do it.

Paul's side of the line was quiet for several long seconds before he spoke.

"Well, I guess I'm not surprised. We may not have been the best of friends, but well, I spent enough time in his head to know him. He's a good guy and I'd venture a guess that his intentions were probably good." Paul groused.

She could tell he wasn't mad. A bit disappointed maybe, but not upset. Which, admittedly, was not unusual for Paul.

"I have a question. I have a very girly, completely hypothetical, utterly ridiculous question." She confessed.

He chuckled. "C'mon, doll. You know you wanna ask. Just do it." He goaded.

She hesitated a moment before divulging her query.

"Why didn't you come? I told you about him. But you didn't come… Why?" Her voice sounded small, unsure and a bit timid.

He paused briefly before giving her a real and honest answer.

"Because you told me not to."

His simple response warmed her heart. She hadn't known it until she'd heard it, but it was exactly what she'd needed to hear.

"Thanks Paul. That was… That was a perfect answer." She muttered, slightly embarrassed.

He grinned into the phone. "I gotta way with words, huh?"

She rolled her eyes at his obvious patting of his own back.

"Yes, you do. But really, thanks for letting me talk. I needed it."

He shifted and felt his own cheeks heat up a bit. "I'm just glad you called. Miss ya, doll. I've thought about you every day since I left… Especially when I had you up against my door last week… That little breathy sound you made…" He trailed off, eliciting a barely audible sigh.

Bella reddens to a bright tomato shade and squeaks. "Paul!"

"What? I was just trying to tell you how much I missed you… Speaking of, I totally forgot to ask earlier. What are you wearing?"

His laughter was infectious.

"Goodbye Paul." She told him.

"Later Swan. Text me whenever." He told her as they hung up.

Five minutes later he got a text. It was a picture of her panties and sleep shirt on the floor of the bathroom with the words 'Nothing now!' underneath it.

He shot back 'Tease' and started his day.

Bella felt marginally better after a long hot shower and a couple of cups of stale hotel room coffee. She'd just stepped foot outside her door when she ran into someone.

A tall, Quileute someone.

"Morning Bells." He said as he steadied her.

"Jake." She greeted with a small grin.

"Headed down for breakfast?" He asked as they moved to the stairs.

"Yep. Meeting Embry." She replied.

"Embry? Dad said neither of them were coming up." Jake questioned curiously.

She gave a small smile. "Well, they weren't. But Embry got worried and took matters into his own hands and now it feels kind of awkward and a little unfair." Bella explained.

Jake grinned knowingly. "Gonna send him packing huh?"

She arched her eyebrow at him. "Really, Jake? Really, we're going there?"

"OK, sorry, none of my business. Backing off now." He surrendered, throwing his hands up in the air.

They made it to the first landing when she stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.

"I just… I just wanted to say that I appreciate your honesty yesterday. That couldn't have been easy and it means a lot that you pushed through it and told me. I'm pretty sure I should be royally pissed at you for doing that to me right now, but honestly, I just can't be… I tried, you know. I really did, but I'm not mad. I'm not sure what I am, but mad isn't it." She rambled, feeling slightly self conscious for her strange train of thought.

He laughed gently and dropped a hand to her shoulder. "Glad to hear it."

They'd resumed walking when something popped into Bella's mind.

"Jake? I have a tiny question."

"Ask away."

"Who did Sydney have feelings for? You mentioned it yesterday but you never said who."

He blew out a breath, obviously uncomfortable with her question.

"Not exactly a little question, Bella."

She winced, now realizing she'd hit a nerve. "Sorry, it's not a big-"

"Quil."

She sucked in a breath. "Quil?"

He nodded his affirmation. "They dated for awhile but it didn't go well."

"So why didn't it… Work out?" She asked tentatively.

"Quil imprinted two months after I did. Her name is Claire, she's Emily's niece. The pull to her was strong, he's with her constantly. Syd couldn't take it and ended it with him." Jake explained softly.

She opened her mouth to reply but she was cut off.

By Embry.

"Morning Bell. Jake."

They'd reached the main floor and unbeknownst to them, Embry had been watching them since they'd come into his line of sight.

"I know you two have breakfast plans. I'm going to grab a paper and check my email." Jake said as he gave Bella a small smile and headed off.

The walk to the café Bella had been frequenting the last several days was silent but comfortable. He'd grabbed hold of her hand almost instantly and she relished in the feeling of her hand wrapped in his larger, warm one.

Once they'd collected their breakfast and dropped onto a bench outside, she began speaking.

"Embry, I truly appreciate you coming out here. I know I was a bit rough last night, but I didn't mean to be. The gesture was sweet, and kind and I love that you did that for me."

"But?" He prodded, knowing there was another side to this.

"I need to focus on Charlie. This operation is a big deal. I need a clear head and I can't do that with you here. And before you ask, I couldn't do it with Paul here either."

He sighed and dropped his bagel to the paper plate. "I wasn't trying to upset you or step on your toes. It just… It didn't seem right that you were going through this on your own." He explained tightly.

She smiled softly. "You have nothing to apologize for. Your heart and intentions were in the right place. If blame should be placed anywhere, it should be on me. I should have been clearer. I shouldn't have been so hard on your last night. I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I'm not in the place to have you here with me." She apologized softly.

"I get it Bella. I'll go home. I understand where you're coming from. I can respect that." He told her softly.

"Em…" She faded off, feeling terrible for making him feel this way.

He laid a reassuring hand on her arm.

"Bell, focus on your dad. I'm here; you don't have to worry about me."

She leaned into him, breathed his scent in and raised her chin for a kiss.

He took the cue flawlessly. He leaned down, cupper her cheek in his palm and captured her lips.

The kiss lingered as her fingers dug lightly into his thigh. His tongue dueled lazily with hers. She let her finger pads trace along the hard muscles of his chest. She had a tendency to get lost in his kisses and this was no different.

Finally, when oxygen became necessary, they pulled apart. "I'd better get going. And Charlie's surgery is soon." He muttered, his forehead pressed against hers, his breath fanning across her face.

She snaked her hand in his and squeezed. "I'll see you soon." She breathed out.

He grinned softly. "You know it."

Three hours later, Charlie was just about ready for surgery.

"Stop the waterworks, Bells. I'll be fine."

Silent tears tracked down her cheeks. She swiped furiously at them and offered her father a watery smile.

"I know dad. I know. I just… I wish it wasn't coming to this. I don't like it. I don't… I don't this well. All I can tell you is I need you. OK? I need you. So I need you to come out of this. Please dad." She muttered softly.

He squeezed her hand and pulled her to him. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Love you, Bella." He whispered, pressing a weathered hand to her hair.

Her tears wetted his cheek but he didn't say anything. He held her, let her cry and when it was time to go, he pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Be strong Bells. I need you to be strong." He implored her.

She nodded wordlessly and watched them wheel her father into surgery.

Billy did everything he could to keep her spirits up while they waited it out in the family waiting room. But ultimately, getting lost in her own thoughts seemed to be the best source of distraction.

She turned his words over in her head, mulled over his choices, re-examined his explanations, internally debated his decisions. Finally, she broke out a notebook and mapped out her thought pattern.

And just like that, staring down at the complex set of notes, drawings and scribbled out guesses, she understood.

His words echoed loudly in her mind.

"_I wanted to help, I wanted you to see it from the other side, to know that there's always a choice and I didn't make the right one."_

She'd been so shell shocked by the whole situation that she'd glossed over his words, hadn't given them real thought until this moment. Now she got it, now she understood.

Giving up. Settling. He'd given up on her, he hadn't chased her, hadn't hunted her, hadn't exhausted every possibility. And it wasn't because he couldn't… Because he could have.

It was because he chose not to. He settled. He let the one thing that mattered most to him, walk away.

He'd settled. He'd settled for someone else. Someone who'd settled for him.

He wanted her to avoid his mistakes. He wanted her to be true to herself. He wanted her to make every effort not to settle, not to give up.

He was trying to tell her to choose. To choose and to choose the one she couldn't live without. The one that made her heart stop, the one that made her brain turn to mush, her vision fuzz, and her body weak. The one who breathed life into her world.

She gulped in a deep breath and released it slowly.

He was right.

It was time to choose.

A/N: Please don't hate me for dragging Jake back into her life but I wanted to give them a little closure. And she needed someone to knock some sense into her. And she never listened to anyone quite in the way she listened to Jake. This is NOT going to be a Bella/Jake story. They've had their bumpy moments and they may have one or two more but this is not about them.

A/N 2: It seems like several of you are interested in seeing the three of them coexist together, so I'll give it a shot. It won't be as long as this and it may take a different path but I'll see what I can do.

A/N 3: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME!


	9. Solace and Pain

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to get this out. I've been outlining, then erasing, then outlining again. This is "the" chapter. It's pivotal. It's the game changer. It's the decision. And obviously, most of you know who she's going to pick… I think I've dropped enough hints, and well, you're all very smart. But, as I've stated in the past, it's not going to be all sunshine and lollipops. We've got some ground to cover, so if you're willing to hang in there with me, I'm going to try to keep you happy.

On another note, you all are fantastic people. I have to give a shoutout to "TammyWammy" for mentioning the repeated Grey's Anatomy mention. I was so convinced I would have at least ONE Grey's fan in the bunch and she finally called me out.

Another thank you to "Themoresmutthebetter" for calling my attention to a few grammatical errors. Thank you!

Thank you to all of you who took the time to review. I'm sorry I'm not a person who replies to every review (otherwise, it would take even LONGER to get another chapter out) but I do want you to know that I read every last one of them. I've been posting on this site for over 4 years now, and well, I just want you guys to know that you're my 'rainy day pick me up'. When I'm having a spectacularly terrible day, I log into this lovely site and re-read all (and I do mean all) my reviews. Then I don't feel so craptastic anymore. So thank you guys, truly.

ON WITH THE STORY!

Run Right Into You

Chapter 9: Solace & Pain

Charlie's surgery went beautifully. Dr. Shepherd was pleased and optimistic about her father's future. For the first time in as long as she could remember, Bella felt the tingle of hope shiver down her spine. Her father was getting his chance back.

After a few additional days of recovery, the doctor sent them on their way, but not without a word of caution. It would take time for Charlie to fully recover. It would take even more time before they'd see any real results. In short, they needed to be patient.

The calming wave of relief that washed over Bella was short lived. Things with her father may have taken a turn for the better but her personal life needed some serious attention.

She agonized. She debated. She made lists. She called her mother. All of her findings led back to one simple conclusion; this wasn't just a boyfriend or someone to keep her warm on a lonely night; this was her life.

Silly her for thinking she could just sit down and figure it out. Silly her for thinking if she just cleared her mind and focused, it would come to her.

Nothing had ever 'come' to Bella, and it certainly hadn't ever come easily.

A decision she'd intended to dwell over for no more than a week had now been hanging in the balance for nearly a month, a fact she was definitely less than proud of.

Bella was jerked from her reverie by the sound of the doorbell chiming. She pushed back from her desk and headed towards the steps. She'd been knee deep in financial reports and her visitor was most likely Sue, dropping by to hand off more paperwork to her already overloaded employee.

She was just padding into the kitchen when she heard Charlie's voice.

"I'm sorry. I don't know who you are. I'm not letting you in here just because you say you're here to see my daughter. I'm the Chief of Police here, I'd hate to have to get the law involved. Now, just go on, get off my porch and we'll forget this ever happened."

Bella felt the ground shift underneath her. _God, no…. He was… This wasn't… He was supposed to be better… This can't be happening…_

"Bella?" Sue's tentative, slightly frightened voice carried into the kitchen and cut her through her inner monologue. She couldn't grieve the loss of her father's mind now; she had to get to Sue before her father tried to arrest her.

"Dad. It's OK. This is Sue. I work for her. She's just here to drop off some paperwork for me." Bella reassured him as she stepped into the room.

She approached her father slowly and offered him a warm smile. He gazed back uncertainly, unsure of whether he should trust her explanation.

Charlie's suspicious gaze flitted to Bella before snapping back to Sue. "Bells, you don't work for her. You work for Mrs. Newton, at her store." He reminded her warily.

Bella's gaze slid to the older woman and caught the shimmer of tears in her eyes. But crying wouldn't help her father. She had to be the strong one now. He'd spent years being strong for her. The least she could do was return the favor.

"Dad. I know this is all very confusing but I'm not in high school anymore. This is Sue Clearwater, Harry's wife. I'm grown now, I finished college this year. I live with you because you have Alzheimer's. I take care of you. We were in Seattle a month ago. Dr. Shepherd performed surgery on you to try to help you with your disease. Do you remember any of that?" Bella asked patiently, so desperately trying to choke back the emotions pushing at the surface.

He took a moment to absorb what she was telling him. Charlie sucked in a breath and turned his hesitant gaze to his daughter. "I'm… I'm sick?"

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes but she quickly blinked them back. "Yes, dad. You are." She replied simply.

Charlie's shoulders sagged and his face crumpled. Sue swiftly stepped away and let Bella slide in. She wrapped her arms around her father and let him sob into her shoulder.

Her father cried for the memories he couldn't recall making; she cried for the memories he'd never be able to make again.

48 hours later, Dr. Shepherd confirmed her deepest fear. The surgery had not improved Charlie's condition.

"Charlie, Bella…. I'm so sorry. I wish I had better news, I do. But unfortunately, despite how successful we'd originally anticipated the surgery had been, that does not appear to be the case anymore." Dr. Shepherd softly informed both of them.

Charlie gripped his daughter's hand tightly. He'd suspected as much but hearing the man speak the words added another dreaded dose of reality to his suspicions.

"So what's next? What's the next step? What are our options?" Bella asked after a prolonged silence. She hated the quiet moments; it was when it all seemed the most hopeless.

Dr. Shepherd swallowed as he gaze drifted downwards momentarily before shifting back to her. "There is no next step, Bella." He answered quietly.

"No next step? How can that be? What about all the other treatment options we talked about when we were here a month ago? Why aren't we talking about them NOW?" She exclaimed, her emotions clearly getting the better of her.

Dr. Shepherd placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "Bella, once we realized that advanced state of your father's disease, there was only one option. This one. And it didn't work. And I'm sorry for that. But this… This is it. We're out of options." He pronounced with finality.

He kept going, but Bella didn't hear him. All she could hear were the words 'we're out of options' on repeat in her head. She gripped the arm rests of the chair and struggled to grasp a breath.

"I'm sorry. I just… I need a minute." She fumbled out as she jerked to her feet and hurried from the room, not bothering to wait for a response from the two men in the room.

She slammed the door behind her and made a beeline for the stairwell. It wasn't until she slid down the cool, concrete wall that she finally sucked in a deep breath.

There was no more hope. There were no more second chances. This was it. They had reached the end of the road. Charlie wouldn't be getting better anymore. It was all downhill from here. Each day would be a little worse than the one before.

Bella's eyes burned with the tears she'd been holding back for the last 2 days. No longer did she have the strength or the desire to keep them at bay. Instead, she dropped her head to her hands and let them fall freely.

Charlie was just hanging up his phone when she returned to his side. She asked no questions, only offered herself up for a hug from a man who would soon know her only as a stranger.

He gripped her close and willed his dying memory to keep this moment, to commit these few seconds to some part of his mind that wasn't being viciously attacked by a memory killing disease.

The ride back to Forks was silent, but not uncomfortably so. Both father and daughter were wrapped up in their thoughts of the future and just exactly what would happen next.

It was late when she pulled the rambling old truck into the drive. It didn't long to get in and get Charlie settled for the night.

She slipped down the stairs to the kitchen and silently measured out the ingredients for her favorite cocktail. She took three long pulls off the sweet drink and it was gone. She hesitated only briefly before she poured herself a second and allowed herself to drown her sorrows in a glass, even if only for a night.

Once she was good and toasty, she plodded up the steps and down the hall to the bathroom, intending to wash away the long day. One steaming hot shower later, she felt cleaner, if not a touch more sane. Her skin had pinked, then reddened in the hot water and her hair was nearly black from the wetness. Bella slung her soft, knee length white robe over her still heated body and strode into her bedroom.

"Good shower?"

Bella nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice behind her. Her heart hammered a staccato beat against her chest so loudly she was afraid it would beat right through her ribs, pop out and fall on the floor.

"Jake! God, what is the matter with you! What are you even doing here?" She questioned, her eyes wide at her unexpected visitor.

"Charlie called." It was the only explanation he offered, and the only one she needed.

Two steps and she melted into his warm embrace. God bless her father for knowing exactly who she'd need in this moment.

She'd lost track of the time when Jake's voice interrupted their comfortable silence. He maneuvered them to her bed, with his back against the headboard and her body next to his, her head on his shoulder.

"Not that I can relate in any capacity, but I've had a rough go of it the last couple days myself." He muttered into the silence.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze trailed up to meet his.

"What happened?" She asked, despite knowing he'd have told her regardless of if she'd requested an explanation.

"Sydney left me 2 weeks ago." He whispered quietly.

Bella's body stiffened in response. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and continued.

"My wolf didn't handle that too well. It's been a roller coaster since she moved out. I tried to make it without her, but it was too hard. I gave him up 5 days after she left. I thought it might make losing my imprint easier." He finished at last. His voice was soft but void of any real emotion.

She tripped over her next question, unsure if it was even warranted, if she was allowed to ask such a thing.

"How are you doing? You know, without both of them?" She questioned at last, her voice tentative and small.

There was an obvious hesitation on his part. "Do you really want the answer to that question?" He asks, phrasing his question carefully.

"I want to know. You know that I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." She reminded him, her hand now resting firmly on his shoulder.

He did know that. But he wasn't sure if she was ready to hear his answer.

"It's hard, Bella. It's… It's a piece of me that's missing. A piece I'll never get back. But if I'm being honest, and you asked me to be, as tough as it is, it doesn't even compare to what I went through when I lost you."

She blew out a breath she didn't know she was holding. That was not exactly what she was expecting. It was true, she and Jake had rehashed a lot of their past in a solid attempt at moving beyond it but still, that statement… It was a lot to take in, a lot to attempt to digest.

But he was staring at her with those dark, earnest eyes, pleading with her to understand what he meant, get where he was coming from, tell him he did the right thing.

But before she could form the words, he moved off her bed and toward the door.

He made it to the front door and pulled it open before she caught up.

"It's late. Really late. And I should head home, Billy will worry. And I shouldn't have done that… I shouldn't have laid that all on you like that. Not with what you already have going on with your dad, and Paul and Em. I'm sorry, it was a lot to lay on you and the last thing I wanted to do was upset you. I'm sorry I even said anything. It wasn't my-"

She cut his rambling off with a palm over his mouth.

"Don't apologize. Don't ever apologize for doing right by yourself and for going after what you want. That's something to be proud of. And I am. I'm very proud." She told him softly.

He gazed down into her light brown eyes and found himself fading into them, the rest of the world became a foggy haze as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He lost himself in the moment, he gripped her tightly to him, the familiarity of her embrace washed over him and a strong sense of _home_ engulfed him.

Right up until she started pushing at his chest. He pulled himself back and peeked down into her eyes. She was not happy, or excited, or turned on.

Jake suddenly felt the urge to take a step back. One big step back. She was _furious_.

"Bella, oh god. I'm so sorry, I-" He quickly dove in with an apology only to have her cut him off at the pass.

"Save it, Jake. Just…. Save it. You know better, you know how complicated my life is right now… God… You crossed, like, every line possible. Unbelievable. Just when I think we're getting to a point where we might be able to salvage our friendship, you do that. God… You know what Jake, I really think it's time for you to go." She finished at last as she reached out and pulled the already open door out wider for him.

"Can I just-"

She shook her head. "Nope. You can't 'just'. I'm done talking about this. I'll come find you if and when I'm ready to talk about forgiveness." She informed him coolly.

He held her gaze for a moment longer before offering a solemn nod. She watched as he stepped off the porch. He tossed one last, lingering look over his shoulder before he took off for the woods, disappearing within moments.

A movement across the street caught her eye just as she was about to shut the door.

Paul. Of course he'd seen. Hell, he probably knew Jake was upstairs waiting in her room for her.

Her feet carried her across the lawn and the street with no hesitation.

He was waiting on the front porch when she stepped up to join him.

"So I guess you saw." She opened, not bothering to phrase it as a question, there was no need to. It was likely that he'd both seen and heard the entire exchange; no sense in beating around the bush.

"I did. Black's an ass. Though I can't say I'm surprised he tried. He's been radiating a nervous, fucked up vibe since he got over there. I kinda guessed he'd go in for the kill." Paul stated, offering her a sly grin.

She crinkled her forehead at him. "So you aren't upset?" She clarified cautiously.

Paul lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. "Well, obviously I didn't like it. But I heard the whole thing. You didn't make the move, he did. And you stopped it. Good enough for me." He told her as he turned to face her.

"I appreciate that. I don't think I can deal with much more today." She replied with a sigh as she sunk down to sit on the steps below her.

He joined her a moment later and dropped a heavily muscled arm around her shoulders.

She allowed herself a moment before she took a deep breath and dove into the events of the day. She shared everything from her private breakdown in the stairwell to Jake's revelation.

For his part, Paul was quiet and let her speak. He knew this was more for her benefit than his. She'd always been a 'better out than in' sort of person so he tried to indulge her whenever she needed it.

When her re-telling of the day ended, she dropped her head to his shoulder and he ran a few idle fingers up and down her terry clothed arm.

The quiet was soft and peaceful. She and Paul had gotten quite good at the silent moments. He wasn't big with words so she learned to appreciate the moments without them.

"Do you ever think it would be easier if you were with him?" He questioned at last, his voice low and rumbly.

She quirked an eyebrow and stared up at him. Paul wasn't one to pose many hypothetical situations, and he certainly wasn't one to question himself, and definitely not when it came to women.

After a heavy sigh and a brief moment of contemplation, she answered his question.

"Yes. It probably would have been much simpler. He's the easiest person in the world to get along with, talk to, love… He was right when he said loving him would be as easy as breathing… But that's not what I want… It hasn't been for a long time. That's not what I signed up for, you know?" She finished at last.

He tugged her closer and threaded his fingers through her hair. "I'm going to make a decision soon." She confessed quietly.

A half smirk appeared on his face as he tugged a couple strands of hair. "Yeah? Well, if you're smart, you'll pick Embry." He teased her playfully.

She laughed at his comment before replying with a smarmy comment of her own. "No, if I were smart, I never would have gotten mixed up with either of you animals!"

He chortled at her smart aleck retort and hooked a finger into the knot in the belt of her robe. "Hmm… is there anything I can do to sway your vote towards me?" He questioned, amusement dancing in his dark eyes.

She cocked her head and met his gaze with her own. "Well, I'd appreciate a goodnight kiss from someone other than Jake." She suggested softly.

His grin spread across his face before he dipped his head to meet her lips.

The kiss was white hot and scorched a path right down to her core. She ached for him almost instantly. But that didn't surprise her. He'd had that effect on her for longer than she cared to admit.

One hand twined into her hair while the other one snagged her by the waist and hauled her into his lap.

Her legs wrapped around him of their own accord and her nimble fingers slid underneath the collar of his flannel shirt, flicking along his defined shoulders and collarbone.

Paul broke from the kiss and attached his mouth to her neck, trailing light, suckling kisses to the spot just below her ear that made her shiver in his grasp.

Her arousal drifted from between her legs and filled his nose. Paul took a deep breath in and groaned appreciatively. Her scent alone was enough to stir his mostly silent inner wolf.

"If this is going to stop, you should tell me now, Swan. Because I won't be able to once we get started." He warned lowly, the words grinding out of him.

Her gaze drifted upwards to his. His eyes were dark and probing. His stare was heavy and full of desire and promise. She couldn't help but get lost in his inky orbs.

For once since the start of the whole twisted triangle, she stopped thinking and just let her instincts guide her. Right now, something deep in her needed this… needed this like oxygen. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, her hands tightened ever so slightly on his shoulder, giving him her silent approval.

The hand that had hauled her into his lap now slipped further south and wrapped possessively around the curve of her ass. His other meaty paw trailed a slow, deliberate pattern down to the front of her robe and toyed absently with the knot.

"You aren't untying that out here." She whispered breathlessly, well aware of exactly what the man underneath her was attempting to do.

He said nothing and shifted his hand on her terry cloth covered ass lower, only to discover she was completely naked beneath the soft material.

"Well that explains why you smell so good. Hey, you weren't wearing panties when you were talking to Jake." He stated as he stood, holding her in his grasp as he carried her inside.

"I didn't know he was there. If you'd have called or texted I would have at least put on underwear." She mumbled back as he kicked open the door of his bedroom, his lips now sucking at the skin at the base of her neck.

"Fuck it. I don't care as long as you don't put them on to come over here." He muttered around his suckling.

"Are you marking me?" She asked tremulously as her fingers began yanking on the buttons of his shirt.

"Something like that." He replied, his gaze flitting up to meet hers.

She lightly pushed on his head, stopping him from his actions. "Knock it off. People will see. We aren't in high school anymore." She chastised. She'd intended for it to sound serious but when his fingers started gently tugging on the robe, she faltered.

"So I can leave a hickey somewhere else then, huh?" He questioned, a devious smirk now in full bloom on his face.

His head dipped down to pepper small, teasing kisses along the vee of her robe.

"Hickey huh? I thought when you wolves marked a mate, you bit them."

At this, he stopped. His head snapped back up and his eyes darkened lustily.

"Are you saying you'd let me bite you?" He questioned, his gravelly voice sent a shock down her spine.

"Can you even still do that? You aren't really a wolf anymore…" She trailed off, her gaze soft and lustfilled.

"I may not shift but I haven't lost my abilities. You didn't answer my question. Do you want me to mark you? Cause I would… But not on your neck, since you're so concerned about people seeing it. Maybe I'd do it here…" He trailed off as he pressed a lingering kiss to her collar bone.

She moaned out her appreciation as his tongue flicked over it.

"Or maybe here." He muttered, flicking his tongue into the valley between her breasts.

His fingers yanked once on the belt and the flimsy knot gave way. He took her robe in both hands and parted it so he could look his fill.

A smooth expanse of creamy skin greeted his hungry gaze. His dark eyes trailed intensely from the tops of her breasts, over the apex of her thighs and down her slender legs.

"You know, I'm feeling a little under-dressed here, Paul." She murmured, her cheeks tinged a light pink.

"Hang on, Swan. I'm still looking my fill here. You can have my body in a second." He told her, his gaze slowly traveling back towards her face.

She rolled her eyes and took matters into her own hands – literally. With speed a werewolf would be proud of, she had his flannel unbuttoned and shoved off his shoulders before he really registered what she was doing.

Her small hands went in for his pants when his larger one grasped onto both her wrists and pinned them just above her head. "I'm quite capable of taking off my own pants, doll. I'm just a little busy right now."

She opened her mouth to respond but her words got stuck in her throat when his mouth latched onto her left nipple. She gasped out a breath as his tongue flicked the delicate bud before he teeth lightly raked over the sensitive skin.

He trailed his free hand down her side, grazing over the slight dip in her waist before spreading over the swell of her hips.

The patterns his fingers were dancing across her abdomen combined forces with his mouth, which had just closed around her right nipple. She writhed in his grip, desperate to run her hands over him.

She'd nearly lost herself in the sensations of mouth when she felt a feather-like touch at her inner thigh. "It would be really hot to see my mark here." He whispered, having released her nipple from his tortuous mouth.

She panted out her approval, unable to form a coherent sentence. His index finger spiraled along her thigh, moving higher with each stroke. "Hmmm… Yeah. I think I'd do it right here." He mused as he slid down her body.

Paul released her hands and she immediately moved them to grasp the sheets in her fists.

He felt her tremble underneath him as a jolt of her heavy arousal assaulted his senses.

He sucked in a lungful as he lowered his mouth her thigh. His teeth nipped at the skin he wanted to mark. She shuddered visibly at the nibble, earning a dark chuckle from Paul.

"What do you think, Swan? It'll only take a few seconds, then you'll have your own 'Paul' tattoo."

He didn't wait for her to respond. Instead, he turned his attention to her core. Before she could choke out a breathless question, he licked a solid stripe up her sex and finished with a flick of his tongue at her clit, before taking it into his mouth and suckling gently.

Bella's back arched at the sudden contact and a strangled moan escaped her throat. He laid a heavily muscled arm across her lower abdomen. "Stop squirming Swan. I want to do this right." He told her sternly.

His tongue lapped her juices, driving her to the edge, desperately needing one last push to tumble over the precipice into oblivion.

Seconds later, he pressed two fingers into her heat and curled them upwards, granting her wish.

She breathed out a gasp that faded to a moan, squeezed her eyes shut and let herself fall.

Her slender frame arched towards him as he watched her tumble headfirst into her orgasm. He was fairly confident he'd never seen anything more beautiful than Bella when she came. Not that he'd ever tell her that, he was pretty sure she'd smack him on the back of the head.

He crept back up to lean over as she came down from her orgasm induced haze. Her chocolate brown eyes fluttered open and gazed up into his wanton gaze.

"Last chance to tell me to fuck off, Swan." He whispered huskily into her ear as he nipped teasingly at her earlobe.

She moaned lightly at the feel of his teeth on her skin. "My lips are sealed." She replied breathlessly.

Paul offered her a crooked smirk and dipped his head to capture her lips with his. His tongue slid heatedly against hers, dueled for control and won.

He shifted his body and used his knee to spread her. "Open up, doll." He murmured against her heated skin as he pulled his lips away.

She granted his request and parted her legs. She felt his thick cock brush against her inner thigh as he dropped himself between her legs.

His eyes held her gaze as he shifted upwards, the blunt head of his manhood now barely dipping into her dripping folds.

She moved restlessly against him, giving him the silent approval to keep going.

He braced himself and pushed into her slowly, consciously aware of his size. He moaned as her tight heat enveloped him. Her channel clenched and pulled, welcoming him in.

"Fuck Swan. You're so tight." He muttered as he brushed his nose along her neckline, breathing in the fragrant scent of her excitement.

She gasped out her approval as he sunk into her fully, their bodies completely joined now.

Paul lifted off of her slightly and turned his gaze down to where their bodies were connected. He watched as he slid himself out and pushed back in, her slick folds tugging him back each time.

Bella's hands trailed up his arms to grip his shoulders as he pulled her to him and started up a steady rhythm. She met him thrust for thrust, her breathing was low and labored.

"God… Paul… Please… Harder…" Her request was soft and panted out but he heard her loud and clear.

Paul felt an intensely overwhelming need well up in him. He leaned up and away from her and hooked his arms under her knees. He watched as her gaze darkened and listened as her heart beat picked up.

The smirk he often wore was almost always sexy to her, but in this moment, it had never been hotter. He braced himself against the bed and once again dropped his gaze to where they were joined. He released a strangled moan and fulfilled her earlier request.

He gripped her thighs as he pounded into her, willing his orgasm to wait as she built to hers. He felt her clenching around his hardened cock, milking it in an attempt to pull his own release from him.

Her small breasts bounced in time to his frantic thrusts and he reached a hand up to tweak one of her nipples. She moaned and thrashed as he repeated the action.

"Like that Swan? How 'bout this?" He teased as he dropped the hand down to administer a pinch to her clit.

She gasped loudly and her hips picked up the pace, silently urging him to meet the quicker pace.

"Mmm… I can feel you squeezing me. You gonna come soon, Swan?" He breathed out, watching as her body flushed with the impending orgasm.

She squeezed the bed sheets tightly in her hands and pushed against him. He gave in and pushed himself harder into her. It wasn't often he let his wolf have much control in this capacity anymore, but with her, for whatever reason, it felt right. He felt the heat creep up his back, the growl rose up in his throat. He gripped her thighs and pounded himself into her welcoming body. She cried out her approval, her body bowing off the bed, towards him. The sweat on his brow gleamed and dripped down his face as he thrust twice more before he felt her core grip him tightly as he pushed her over the edge. He followed moment later, spilling his seed deep inside her.

His thrusts slowed to a slow grind, relishing in the sounds of her low, throaty moans as he lightly circled his hips over hers. Finally, he had himself (and his wolf) under control. He pressed a lingering kiss to the hollow of her throat as he slowly withdrew from the heat of her body.

She shuddered slightly at his withdrawal, her body gripped lightly at him as he slowly slid from her warmth.

Without a word, he slipped from the bed and padded to his bathroom. A pale yellow glow cast a weak light around the half closed door. She watched his movement with half lidded eyes. He clicked the light off a moment later and moved back to the bed.

Bella nearly yelped at the feeling of wet warmth against her legs. She sighed and calmed when she realized he was only cleaning her off.

Once he was satisfied, he tossed the rag into a corner of his room he seemed to use as a hamper and climbed back in bed next to her.

"Just so you know, 'M not big on cuddling or anything, but I guess I'd make an exception for you." He muttered as he turned on his side to face her.

"Shocking." She deadpanned, though she smiled softly as she felt his arm drape across her waist. He dragged her a bit closer and whispered softly in her ear "Sleep, Swan."

She wasn't sure how many hours had past when she felt him gently smoothing a hand down her arm. "Swan. C'mon. Time to get up. 'M sure you'll want to be there when Charlie wakes up." He murmured softly.

Tentatively, she cracked an eye and moved to sit up. The room was softly lit, only a well placed corner lamp with a dim bulb illuminated the room. Her gaze moved to her companion, her eyes swept over his mostly naked (save for a well placed sheet) form.

The happenings of the previous day rushed over her in a tidal wave of emotion.

Her brain played out the day as if on a movie reel.

_Her father was out of options, choices, chances… It was downhill from here on out._

_She'd aided and numbed her pain with a hearty dose of liquid memory eraser._

_Jake had hidden in her bedroom, waiting, after Charlie called him._

_Said former best friend confessed his loss of his imprint, and subsequently his wolf._

_He'd kissed her. In a crazy emotional moment of fogginess, he'd kissed her._

_She'd yelled at him. Cursed him. Told him to stay away. She'd find him if she so chose._

_Paul had seen (and obviously heard) everything._

_Bella confessed her decision would be made soon._

_She and Paul had sex._

Paul watched as the emotional events of the previous day played out across her face. He felt an immense wave of guilt smack into him. He'd done the wrong thing. In a moment where she'd likely needed him the most, he'd made the wrong move.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and secured the remaining sheet around her naked body. One hand clutched the sheet in place while the other attempted to rub the sleep from her eyes.

Bella sucked in a deep breath and raised her gaze to Paul's. She had to speak. She needed to say something, offer some sort of explanation. She couldn't just grab her clothes and bolt for home. No, that wasn't an option. He deserved better than that. Hell, so did she.

"Paul… I… I'm sorry. I feel like I kind of threw myself at you last night. It was such an emotional day, I guess… I mean…" She fumbled for the right words, inwardly cursing her inability to form coherent sentences in critical moments.

"Swan. Stop. You… You don't need to do that. I get it. And for what it's worth, I didn't actually mean for that to happen before you made your choice." He offered gruffly. And that was the truth. He hadn't meant for it to go that far. Sure, he'd thought about it _plenty_ of times and they'd had some pretty hot little moments but he'd intended to wait until she'd picked. Not so much for his sake, but for hers. He knew the kind of girl she was and that wasn't it.

She scrunched her brow at him. _Is this his way of telling me last night was a mistake?_

He took in her confusion and adjusted his explanation accordingly. "I'm a cop. And a werewolf. The words 'I regret fucking Paul last night' are practically tattooed across your forehead." He explained softly.

She winced in understanding. "Paul, it's not that I regret it. I don't. It's just that I didn't want this… I didn't want sex to be part of my decision. And now, no matter how much I try to push it away or rationalize it, it will be." She attempted to clarify her feelings in hopes that she wouldn't further hurt his feelings.

Paul's gaze was unreadable. His mannerisms were closed off, his face blank. He wasn't showing any signs of any emotions whatsoever. For the first time since she'd met him, she was totally lost.

"I get that. I do. So I mean… I guess you should just do what you have to do. Even the playing field." He suggested after several uncomfortably quiet moments.

Her eyebrows jolted upwards in obvious confusion.

_Was he seriously suggesting she should have sex with Embry so she didn't feel bad?_

"Before I just assume I know what you mean, maybe you should explain it to me." She suggested quietly, not entirely sure if she was ready to hear his answer.

He held her stare and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "What I'm saying is if you're so worried about keeping it fair, then you should fuck Embry too. Might as well." He told her, his tone callous and largely uncaring.

Her eyes visibly widened as she recoiled from his words. She'd expected him to be upset, she'd expected him to want her to pick him now, she'd expected a bit of a fight. But not this. This… This was the furthest thing from her expectations.

She yanked the sheet from her body and quickly slid from the bed. Her robe was lying on the floor near the door. She snatched it and yanked it over her body.

"You know, I can't tell you how much I _appreciate_ you giving me permission to have sex with Embry. And I'm so _pleased_ I was able to give you what you needed. Had I known all along that all you wanted was a good lay, I'd have made my decision a LONG time ago!" She snarled as she cinched her robe and ran from the house.

She never heard the door slam or the loudly yelled "FUCK!"

Thankfully, Charlie was still out cold. A quick glance at the clock provided the time. 5:23 am. Briefly, she considered going back to bed, or at least lying down in an attempt to get some rest. But she was far too keyed up at the moment.

Instead, she hurried up the steps and dropped her robe and yesterday's towel into the hamper.

She grabbed a fresh towel, clean clothes and made a beeline for the shower.

Once the temperature was as hot as she could stand it, she stepped in. From that point on, she proceeded to scrub herself raw in a desperate attempt to cleanse her body of Paul's scent. Her skin was an angry red shade and shiny when she stepped from the tub, the towel creating a slightly uncomfortable friction as she dried herself off.

She busied herself with mundane chores all day in hopes of keeping her mind off her indiscretions. Charlie was having a good day, he'd spent most of it watching television quietly in the living room.

The telephone jingled to life just as she finished the dinner dishes. It was Billy calling to invite Charlie down to catch the Mariner's game. She checked with Charlie and confirmed after receiving his approval.

It wasn't long before she was pulling her well loved truck up in front of the Black home.

"Gonna watch the game with us Bells?" Charlie questioned as he slid from the cab.

She offered him a genuine smile and rolled her eyes. "I think we both know how well that'll go. I think I'll go see Embry." She informed him.

He nodded his agreement. "Just call my cell when you're ready to head home." She called after him as she slipped the truck into reverse and pointed it towards Embry's house.

Bella parked in his small driveway and trained her gaze on the front door. He was home, his lights were on. She could see the glow of the TV from her truck. She allowed herself a moment to get lost in her own head, replay the events of the last twenty four hours. She desperately needed to collect her thoughts before she knocked on his door.

Another thirty seconds and she slid from the comforting cab of her truck. She was fairly certain he knew she was there and if she'd sat out there too much longer, he would most definitely come out looking for her.

Her knock was quiet and tentative but he heard it. He sat his beer on the table and crossed to let her in.

Embry swung the door open, grin firmly in place. His smile faded when he got a nostril full. Something was most definitely wrong.

"Hi Em. Sorry, I know I didn't call but I was just at Billy's dropping off Charlie for a visit so I figured I'd stop by." Her voice was low and filled with exhaustion. She was emitting a barrage of emotions, each one hitting him harder than the last. Pain, sorrow, frustration, anger, confusion. She was a mess.

He furrowed his brow as he stepped aside to let her in. "You don't need permission to come see me. I'm happy you're here." He replied simply.

Something in his phrasing seemed to snap her attention. Before he could blink, the small woman was wrapped around him, holding on for dear life. Wordlessly, (mostly because he wasn't sure of what to say) he banded his arms around her waist and held her to him.

When she pulled back, he was a little surprised to see she wasn't crying. He'd expected some tears after such an emotional response. But her gaze is still cloudy with emotion. Whatever it was that had happened, it was cutting her deeply.

She felt safe wrapped in Embry's embrace. She felt untouchable to the world when he held her close. But as she gazed up into his concern/confusion filled eyes, she knew things had been irrevocably changed.

"What's the matter B? You… You're… There's a lot coming off you right now. It's kinda… It's a little intense." He finished softly.

"It's nothing. I'm fine. Or at least, I'll be fine. Really." She assured him.

Right as he opened his mouth to speak, her phone chirped. She had a call. He stepped away, intent on giving her what she seemed to need – space.

But she only slipped it from her pocket briefly. She checked the display momentarily, before quickly rejecting the call and shoving it back into her pocket. But not fast enough for Embry.

He'd seen the display. She'd rejected Paul's call. He glanced up from where she had stowed her phone only to be met with her gaze. She'd seen him sneak a look at her phone.

"Is this about him?" He pressed gently. He'd considered pretending he hadn't seen it but now seemed like a bad time to start lying.

"I don't want to talk about him. It's been an absolutely awful 24 hours… Charlie's surgery… It didn't work. He's not going to get better. I can't… He didn't even know who Sue was and he's known her longer than I've been alive. I just… I can't. I don't know what to do, Embry." She muttered helplessly.

He didn't hesitate to pull her back to him. He'd been foolish to think this had anything to do with Paul. Of course it was about her father. If anything, knowing Paul, he'd probably done or said something to make the situation worse.

"I feel like I can't breathe, Em. It's all just too much. I'm helpless, I'm at the end, there's nothing left for me to do. Everything feels numb, I feel numb. I hate feeling numb. I've tried so hard to make it go away but I can't. I just… I can't. I just want, I want-"

She didn't get to finish her thought. Embry had pulled back slightly and swiftly pressed his lips to hers.

Bella in pain was not something Embry coped well with. It stirred up a bevy of emotions, the primary one being his urge to make it all better.

Hence his cutting her off with a kiss. He'd intended for it to brief but it seemed Bella had other ideas because he'd tried to pull back but she'd held on.

She gripped his biceps in her slender hands and let herself get lost in his kiss. He didn't hesitate to return her passion. He gripped her left him tightly as he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue between her slightly parted lips.

His other hand slid south, his large palm covering her ass as he shifted her a few steps back and pressed her against the wall.

Rarely did Embry get to lose control with her. He kept himself in check constantly, but tonight it didn't seem like that was what she wanted. He understood what she was telling him. Right now, in this moment, she _wanted, needed_ him. She'd made that abundantly clear.

Bella wasn't the sort to take the act of sex lightly. If she was doing this it was because of one of two reasons. Either she _felt_ an emotional connection or she _needed_ an emotional connection.

His train of thought was brought to a crashing halt when she reached for his belt and her fingers brushed lightly against the growing bulge in his pants.

Embry bit back a moan and squeezed her ass appreciatively. He took her cue and broke their kiss before lightly tugged on her top, divesting her of it quickly.

His heavy gaze fell to her green satin covered breasts. She bit her lip as he appraised her mostly exposed upper half. "Have I told you how sexy it is when you do that?" He asked as he dragged his nose along the column of her throat, breathing in her distinctly 'Bella' scent, which was now carrying a heavy dose of lust and arousal.

"You hadn't mentioned." She breathily replied as her nimble fingers started slipping the buttons on his shirt out of their button holes. She completed her mission quickly and soon found herself reveling in the heat radiating from his body.

"It's hot. Turns me on like you wouldn't believe." He murmured as he bit down lightly on her shoulder.

His large hands skimmed up her rib cage and circled around to her back. He wasted no time with the clasps and freed her breasts from their confinement.

Her breasts were small and a smooth, creamy white. Her perky pink nipples hardened under his lust filled gaze. He ran his hands upwards and cupped the small orbs, his thumbs brushing lightly over her puckered tips.

She panted out her approval and lightly grinded herself against him in wanton anticipation.

It was his turn to groan as her heat came into contact with his rapidly hardening manhood. Need was quickly taking over. She was becoming like air to him, he needed this… With her… He might not survive without it.

He let one hand drop from its ministrations to her breasts, only to brush brazenly against the button on her jeans. She whimpered at the loss of the dual sensation but he heard her heartbeat pick up when she realized where he was headed next.

He flicked the button on her jeans open as her slender fingers dropped to his pants again, her hand trailed a slow path up the closure of his jeans, over his bulging hard on and upwards to rest on his belt. He pinched the zipper of her pants between his thumb and forefinger and slowly dragged it downwards.

She tugged his belt free and had just pulled it from the loops when she froze.

His mouth closed hotly around her right nipple as his previously occupied hand joined forces with the other in their goal to remove her pants.

He'd tugged them down just a little, enough to see the dark green lace panties she was wearing.

Embry slid a finger into the hem of her panties and snapped them against her skin. She jumped at the unexpected, albeit slight, sting of the elastic snapping back against her body.

"I like these." He muttered as he dropped to his knees and out of her reach. He had every intention of letting her even the playing field, just not yet.

He closed his eyes when he found himself at eye level with her dripping core. It was obvious she wanted him, that fact alone had his dick twice as hard as normal.

"As nice as these are, it's time for them to go." He told her, his eyes darkening as he tucked his fingers into the sides and tugged them down her slender hips and tossed them behind him.

Embry leaned in and dragged in a noseful of her scent. He breathed in her thick ardor and closed his eyes. It was overwhelming all of his senses at once. His wolf was up and shaking himself off. It appeared as though he wanted to join the fun as well.

He'd just barely pressed his mouth to her opening when he smelled it. A _very_ faint whiff of sex. Sex and Paul…?

She'd had sex with Paul. It wasn't overly obvious but it had happened. She'd done a good job cleaning his scent from her body but she could only clean so much and well, he was a wolf… At least part of him was.

Part of him was angry. She'd come to him _after_ she'd had sex with Paul. He was her _second_ choice. This meant something to him. It wasn't about how good she was in bed or how much she was willing to try. Sex had come to mean a lot to him and he'd hoped it had meant the same to her.

But, she was there. She'd done this with Paul and was still here, asking this of him, she wanted him. Perhaps sex with Paul had led to some sort of revelation.

He had a choice to make. He could continue and prove that this meant something to him, that it wasn't just a physical act to him. Or he could turn her away, tell her he could smell Paul, and confront her.

"Em?" She panted out, her heavy chocolate gaze now intensely focused on him.

Her lusty gaze made the decision for him. He might regret it later but he'd promised himself he'd do what he had to do to show her he was right for her.

The previously sleepy wolf in him demanded he re-mark her as his. He sunk two fingers into her wet opening just as he flicked his tongue across her swollen nub.

Her answering cry of pleasure fueled his ministrations. He twisted and scissored his fingers, curling them up into that perfect spot, pulling that deep moan from her throat each time he brushed against it.

Her body trembled out a warning of her impending orgasm. He laved his tongue across her clit before lightly grazing his teeth against the over stimulated skin. Two more firm pumps of his fingers and she was spilling over the edge of oblivion, tumbling head first into her orgasm.

Bella's body sank against the wall, her cheeks flushed, her skin shone with a slight layer of sweat.

He rose to his full height and dragged his hands up her body and across her arms before pinning her wrists against the wall. He braced a knee between her legs and leveled his gaze to hers.

"I want you. I want you so much it's been haunting me for months. Some days, it's all I think about. I want to see what you look like when I push into you the first time. I want to see how beautiful you are when I make you come. I need you." He panted into her neck as he nipped at the skin along her jaw.

She gulped in a breath of air at his blunt admission. She felt a rush of heat and desire rush to her core when he confessed his need to see her at that most vulnerable moment.

He chuckled darkly. "I've never been so grateful for these heightened senses." He muttered as he nudged her legs further apart.

Embry dropped one hand from her wrist and slid it up under her rump and lifted her until his erection was pressing hotly against her welcoming slit.

She swallowed heavily and let her eyes fall to half mast. "Please Embry." She begged throatily, her free hand gripping against his back tightly.

He didn't make her wait any longer. He shifted his hips and pressed into her.

They both moaned simultaneously at the welcomed intrusion.

Her heat was tight and gripped him like a glove as he sunk in to hilt. He pulled back and shifted his gaze downwards to where they were joined. "God, that's really hot." He muttered as he pulled all the way out before thrusting back in.

She followed his lead and dropped her own head to watch their joining. He was right. It was intensely erotic. "Don't stop watching." He rasped into her ear.

He dropped her other hand and braced himself against the wall as he thrust deeply into her. She gripped his shoulders, her gaze never wavering from their connected parts. She watched as his erection, long and hard, slid in and out of her pussy, coated in her juices.

"It's hot, right? I like seeing my dick coated in your wetness. Makes me want you even more." He confessed quietly.

Her fingernails bit into his shoulder and he picked up the pace, thrusting faster with each pass. Her core muscles gripped at him each time he slid in.

"God… Em, I'm so close." She groaned out.

He felt her body clench against him and her hot pants whispered across his chest. He was feeling the beginnings of his own release. He moved his hands to grip her hips firmly.

Bella's head dropped to his head as he pounded his dick into her entrance. "Ohh… Em… Yes… Mmm… Please…" She murmured incoherently.

He slid his large hands to her ass and squeezed hard and he pistoned his hips into hers, racing towards the finish line.

"That's it Bella. I want you to come for me. Open up those eyes, let me see you." He requested hoarsely.

His words cut through her lusty haze and she struggled to open them.

Embry's gaze mirrored her own. "Can I come inside you?" He whispered once her gaze focused on him.

She was on the pill, and they were both clean and the last thing she wanted was for him to stop. She gulped heavily and nodded her approval.

He gripped her body to his and crashed his hips furiously into hers. It was time.

"Ahh… Ohh… God… Mmm… Yeah…" She cried out her release moments before Embry.

He roared his explosion, propelling his cock deeply into her, spilling his seed into her within seconds of her own release.

Embry held her in place for a few moments, his thrusts slow and shallow as he came down from his high. He didn't want to pull out. Not yet.

So he didn't. Instead, he stayed rooted deeply inside her, wrapped his arms around her waist and carried her to the couch. He sat down with her in his lap, his cock still firmly nestled deep inside her.

She groaned low in her throat at the slightly jostling their shifting had caused.

Once he settled on the couch, her firmly in his lap, he rested his gentle gaze on her.

"That was fun." He opened lightly, offering her a wry smile.

She grinned brilliantly before she reddened and nodded. "That was great." She agreed happily.

He let his eyes probe her face, her expressive eyes now an open book to him.

And even now, despite what they'd just done, he could see it in her eyes. She was still very much troubled. The shades of guilt were like a beacon to him. He had to say something, it couldn't wait now.

He shifted his hands under her and reluctantly lifted her from his lap. She protested softly but didn't stop him. He offered her a blanket to wrap herself in while he stepped into his boxers and pulled his jeans on.

After a few moments to contemplate and catch his breath, he sat down on the couch, this time a bit farther away from her.

The presence of space was not missed by the young woman.

Several long seconds passed between them before he spoke.

"I know you had sex with Paul, I could smell it…. Is… is that what had you all upset?" He questioned, his voice low but his tone was firm.

"I don't want to talk about it." She replied, not bothering to meet his probing gaze.

He narrowed his stare at her and waited for her to regain eye contact but she wouldn't.

"I have a right to know, given what just happened. Unless of course, you were just doing this to get a comparison, in which case, you know where the door is." His voice was cold and hard. She'd never heard him speak to anyone like that, let alone her.

At his abrupt and frigid statement, she broke down. She told him every last detail, right down to Paul's parting words.

"He basically sat there and told me if I needed to even the playing field, I could. If I wanted things to be fair, he was OK with it. I mean, what the hell is that even supposed to mean? I thought he cared about me. I had no idea I was so wrong about him." She trailed off as she finished her story.

Embry's head dropped to his hands and a muttered "Shit." Drifted quietly from his prone position.

"What?" She questioned quietly, confused by Embry's behavior.

"You weren't wrong." He confessed, lifting his head from his hands.

"For me, sharing you intimately would not be OK without a commitment. That's… That's why I thought you were here. I figured you'd had a bad experience with Paul and well, maybe this was your way of telling me you were ready to be with me, exclusively."

Despite his explanation, she still looked confused.

"You don't get it. He wanted you badly enough to put his own ridiculously selfish needs aside for you, he wanted you enough to be OK with you having sex with me if that's what he thought you wanted, or needed."

He waited for a response but there wasn't one. She just sat there, staring at him, so he pressed on, now determined to make her understand.

"You don't see it but I do. He loves you, Bella. He fucking loves you. He loves you enough to let you take this step with me. He did it because he wants you to be happy. He fucked it up because it's Paul." He grunted out, hating himself for essentially showing his hand.

"Em, I-"

He didn't let her finish. He wasn't mentally prepared for whatever her rebuttal would be.

"Go home Bella. Go home and make a choice. It's time. One of us is going to get hurt, might as well do it now." He told her.

She wanted to say something… Apologize, explain herself, but she couldn't. He wouldn't allow it. Not now. Her time was up. She'd gone this far, he was right. This was it.

He stood, his gaze never wavering from hers. "Goodbye Bella." He whispered solemnly before turning on his heel and padding to his bedroom.

She left without a word or a backwards glance.

Her father was ready to go when she returned to Billy. She got him loaded up and into the truck without incident. The ride was comfortably quiet as Bella was lost in deep thought and Charlie was quite obviously worn out.

Bella navigated the mammoth truck into their driveway twenty minutes later. The headlights hit the front porch and revealed a visitor.

Paul.

Charlie slipped quietly from the truck, offered his hand to his replacement and ambled inside, closing the door behind him.

She came to a stop in front of him. "How long have you been sitting here?" Was her opening line.

He didn't hesitate to respond. "Since you left."

"Paul, I-"

He plowed on, determined to speak his mind before she finished her sentence.

"I need to explain. I need to explain and apologize for this morning-"

This time it's her who stops him.

"Paul. Stop. That's enough. I get it. I need time. I'm… I've… I've got to do this now, make this decision. But I can't do it right now, with you sitting here, asking for forgiveness. What I need… Really need… Is space. Please, give me that much."

She didn't wait for his response as she stepped around him and into the house. She shut the door quietly behind her and waited for Paul's heavy footsteps to fall away.

"One day. That's it." She whispered the promise to herself. That's all she would allow herself for this. She'd stalled out long enough, it was time to put her big girl pants on and do the right thing.

With that last thought, she poured herself a stiff drink, took a hot shower and shut herself in her room to make one of the most difficult choices she'd ever been faced with.

She had to choose between two men. Two drastically different men who'd had each had a drastically different impact on her life. Giving up one now hardly seemed fair. Choosing between these two had never been a notion she'd entertained before she came home. Now, it was all she could think about.

No matter what happened, the ultimate result would likely be the complete loss of the un-chosen one. She didn't relish giving up either one but not choosing seemed heartless and cruel.

She was an adult. Adults made tough choices all the time. It was time to be an adult. For herself, for Charlie, and for Paul and Embry.

Twenty four hours later, she'd made her decision.

Both men were sitting in the living room, waiting expectantly. Billy and Jake had picked up Charlie for a trip to Newton's an hour earlier.

It was just the three of them.

She wanted to feel confidant and good about her decision but she'd come to realize in the past twenty four hours that wasn't possible.

She cleared her throat and began to speak. "I wish I could say that this was easy and that I feel sure of this choice but I don't. I'm not sure of anything anymore, except that I knew I needed to do this. All I've done is agonize over this, I can't imagine what I've put you two through. There are days where I'd give anything to take it all back but well, I suppose that's not an option anymore."

She paused, taking in the expressions of two of the most important people in her life. Paul sat in Charlie's recliner, one leg crossed over the other, his hands gripped tightly to the arms. Embry was leaning against the wall, his arms folded, his gaze on the wall behind her.

"Just say it Bella, please." Embry needled, obviously desiring to be done with this conversation.

Her gaze flicked to Paul, who held her stare for a moment before turning his gaze downward.

"After everything, at the end of it all, my head and my heart just weren't on the same page with each other. So I went with my gut."

Both men fixed their eyes on her form, each waiting for her to break them.

"Paul. I… I'm choosing Paul."

A/N: WOW guys. I'm sooo sorry that took so long. This chapter took me through hell and back. I agonized for days and days. I stopped, started, deleted, un-deleted… It was tough to write, for sure. I hope you enjoy it.

A/N 2: I will still be writing a spin off/AU where she picks BOTH of them. It won't be nearly as long as this is but it'll be a bit more… well, smutty maybe? Smutty and angsty? Those don't always go together but we'll see!

Please, tell me what you think.


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